Each year my kids beg to be taken to the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee. The highlight of their day is a trip down “Cornbread Alley” where various groups and organizations whip up tasty variations on cornbread recipes like Apple Cinnamon cornbread and Lemon Creme Cornbread Coffee Cake. This year the family favorite was Cranberry Cornbread bars created by the Boy Scout Troop #63. I didn’t have any self rising flour and substituted cake flour instead. These made a dessert bar while all purpose flour makes a traditional cornbread type recipe. My family proclaimed they enjoyed my version even more than the original. The original recipe called for chopped dried cranberries but I added whole dried cranberries and thought they made the bars look pretty without affecting the taste at all.
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups melted butter
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups self rising flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
- Mix cornmeal, flour and sugar together. Add butter, corn syrup, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Fold in cranberries. Pour into a greased 9″ by 13″ pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
The National Cornbread Festival is held the last full week of April each year and next year’s festival will take place on April 26th and 27th. Here’s our highlights of this year’s festival. (It was pouring rain on both days of this year’s festival, which put a slight damper on the turnout, but it was worth the trip.)
There is something for everyone in the family. A children’s corner with free games and activities, the National Cornbread cookoff, arts and crafts, historic tours, a classic car show and lots of food. Each year the men in the family split a blooming onion.
Maybe next year I will enter the National Cornbread cookoff! If you would like more information on the festival, they have a website detailing all the activities.
I did not receive any compensation or products with this post. I simply wanted to share a festival my family enjoys each year.
Sounds like a fun time and a yummy cornbread recipe!
My husband is a cornbread freak! I’ll have to try this out!
YES! You should totally enter this and I should totally drive over and go to that event with you!
Yes! You should totally drive down and go with us!
These sound delicious–thanks for sharing the recipe.
Mmm cornbread! It’s been so long since I’ve eaten it. I made this Mexican dish with cornbread. It was spicy and so tasty. A Cornbread festival sounds fun!
Yummy that cornbread. I love fairs of any kind and always have to checkout our towns every year.
What a good combination! I”ll have to try it!!! thanks
Now I want some cornbread. This rainy chilly New England day is calling for some. I love the idea of adding cranberries. Yum!
What a delicious twist on corn bread!
I have never made Corn bread before! I wonder if it will still work with GF flour! Any recommendations?
Jen,
Yes it will as long as you make the gluten free flour “self rising”. Here is a conversion recipe.
1 cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour mix
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Hope you enjoy it!
My son loves this recipe. He would eat an entire batch if I let him!
What an awesome festival! I am a big fan of cornbread and actually bought a cast iron pan recently just to make cornbread in! LOL!
oh, this sounds yummy! i’d never have thought to pair cranberry with cornbread!
YUMMY…. thanks for sharing this recipe, been wanting to make some cornbread this weekend and this is something different… YUMMM…
this sounds and looks wonderful. We are big cornbread fans, I will try this 🙂
Mmm, so much tasty stuff in one post! This would be fun to attend!
Looks yummy. I wonder if you could use honey in place of the light corn syrup?
I believe you could easily substitute honey instead, Crystal.
I love this recipe. I can’t live without cranberry in my cornbread from now on. Delish!
What a unique combo! Sounds delish!!!
Ooh that looks like a lot of fun! What a unique recipe idea too, I need to try that!
ooo those sound delicious I love cornbread and cranberries but never thought to make it together 🙂