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 Cranberry & Blueberry Cornbread

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I don't know if it's just me but every time a new year rolls around, I get the urge to throw out, or donate, stuff I haven't used for a while and which holds no sentimental value to me. I also do my best to go through the fridge and use up stuff in the freezer and the pantry. Living in the "wilds of Borneo" means that when I spot something foreign (European or North American) that I don't normally see here in the supermarket, I buy it. Sometimes more than one of it, thinking that one day I'll find a use for it. I have been known to buy 10 packets of dried linguine and keep them until the weevils discovered there was a feast awaiting them in my pantry. So, guess what. I found a packet of organic polenta in my freezer, which I think has been there for about four years. (I also found shrivelled up Scotch Bonnet chillies, a ton of imported flour, some active yeast which I suspect is no longer active and some very old bread.) Plus I had dried cranberries in the cupboard which I always have as a staple and fresh blueberries in the fridge. Et voila! That's how my Cranberry & Blueberry Cornbread came to be, along with my sense of self-righteous pride. 😇 Serve these warm with French butter, which is the way I did it. (My guest told me she loved me afterwards.)

INGREDIENTS


1/2 cup dried cranberries

(If you have access to fresh ones, go for it, but cut them in half first)

1 punnet fresh blueberries

1/2 cup icing sugar

3/4 cup cornmeal or polenta (not corn flour)

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup sugar

big pinch of salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1 cup milk

I large egg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

(a little more solid butter to grease the pan)

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METHOD

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Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

Grease a small-ish (say 20cm x 20cm, or 8 " x 8" as a rough guide) baking pan with the solid butter.  I also lined mine with baking paper as extra insurance. 

Place the cranberries, blueberries, icing sugar in a large bowl and mix.

Sift in the polenta, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and toss through.

In another small bowl, blend milk, egg and melted butter.

Pour over polenta mixture.

Scrape into your prepared pan and bake for about half an hour or until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

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