Jalapeño-cheddar cornbread

I am strapped in and ready to ride the southern cooking bandwagon. Even our local liquor store chain is getting in on the action, promoting 'Taste the Spirit of the South' cocktails. I had some leftover buttermilk from my cheddar-olive-chive scones and eggplant and chicken pizza, so I decided to try another recipe from the Double Trouble Kitchen Edition blog: jalapeño-cheddar cornbread, which we ate with chicken wings and greens. The only changes I made to the ingredients, itself adapted from comfortofcooking.com, was to double the amount of cheese, use an old sharp cheddar, and substitute pickled hot pepper mix for raw jalapeño. I also found my cornbread took considerably longer in the oven than the original recipe, probably closer to 25-30 minutes. The cornbread is best straight out of the oven. It's got that delightful granular texture and the distinctly sweet and spicy flavours play off each in every bite.

To make, lightly whisk one egg in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 1T honey and 1/4 cup melted butter and stir. In a separate bowl, sift together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal and 1/4 tsp salt. Fold cornmeal mixture into egg mixture without overmixing.Fold in 3T-4T chopped pickled hot pepper mix and 1/2 cup grated old sharp cheddar.

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.