Bolivian spicy cheese cornbread ボリビアのスパイシーなチーズコーンブレッド

It would appear that my wife is "binge baking"...something I fully endorse. This recipe comes from "Milk Street". She decided to make it because we had several ears of fresh corn left over after making corn souffle and she thought this would be an interesting way to use them. We've never seen a corn bread recipe that used raw fresh corn this way.

On the cut surface, you can see the melted cheeses. You can also see the hole that is left when the cheese melts into the bread. The original recipe calls for Monterrey Jack. Maybe we will use that next time.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/3 cup white sugar
1 Tbs. aniseed
2 1/2 Tsp kosher salt
2 Tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if a hotter bread is preferred)
3 cups corn kernels
1 jalapeno pepper diced
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
1 1/2 sticks salted butter melted and slightly cooled
8 Oz. pepper jack cheese cut into 1/2 inch chunks (we used double Gloucester, smoked Gouda and Gruyere)

Directions:
Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. (I greased the dish then added parchment paper cut to size and greased it as well. I have found this is a sure proof way to keep the bread from sticking.)

Put the cornmeal, sugar, aniseed, salt, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Combine the corn, jalapeno and milk in a food processor. Process until very smooth. Add the eggs and butter and process until smooth again. Pour the corn mixture into the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Add half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Dot the surface with the cheese squares (#1) then cover them with the rest of the batter.

Cook in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted at the center of the bread comes out clean (#2). Let the bread rest for 20 minutes before serving.

This is  a pleasantly spicy bread with a rich moist texture. The cheese chunks add a nice burst of cheese flavor. (We suggest using cheeses that hold their form when heated like the smoked Gouda. We found the melting cheeses such as Gruyere melted into the bread leaving a small hole behind.)