1.30.15 Pimento Cheese Cornbread Twists
For some reason lately, I’ve been craving cornbread. And not just regular cornbread, which is delicious, but more specifically, those cornbread twists you used to be able to buy in the refrigerated dough section at the grocery store. You know, the kind that come in a can where you have to smack it on the counter to pop it open. I know, I know. Please don’t judge. As a kid, my mum would sometimes make these, usually to accompany chili or jambalaya. And for some reason, I was recently struck with a weird craving for them. Alas, if you look for them at the store, they are no longer a thing. Which in this situation is probably a good thing, because it means I had to figure out a way to make my own from scratch.
I have to admit, it’s not too difficult to top refrigerated dough in a can. Modifying a biscuit recipe to create cornmeal biscuit dough resulted in some mighty tasty twists, far better than the original ones ever could have been. Of course, once I got going, I decided to take things to the next level by incorporating pimento cheese into the dough as well. Pimento cheese being another one of my recent guilty cravings (but let’s be honest, when aren’t I craving pimento cheese?). In the end, I found that I had created one delicious übersnack, perfect for sopping up chili, or simply for snacking. And with the Superbowl this weekend giving you the perfect excuse to snack away, I would suggest making a lot of these. At least that’s what I’m planning to do.
Pimento Cheese Cornbread Twists
makes 16 twists
- 1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 2 oz jar pimentos, finely chopped
- 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 ½ cups flour + more for dusting
- ¾ cups cornmeal
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
- ¾ cup cold milk
1. In a small bowl, combine the grated cheese, pimentos, chipotle, and mayo until well mixed.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cut the butter into very small pieces and add to the bowl. Using your hands, work the butter into the flour until the pieces are small and the mixture has a grainy texture.
4. Stir in the milk, followed by the pimento cheese mixture. Mix until a cohesive dough has formed.
5. Refrigerate dough for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease two baking sheets.
5. Place dough on a well floured surface and cut into four equal pieces. Roll each portion of dough into a square approximately 6” x 6”. Using a knife or dough scraper, cut each square of dough into 8 equal strips. Take two strips, pinch the ends together, then twist them together, pinching bottom ends together. Place twist onto greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough strips - you should end up with 16 twists.
7. Bake at 400 degrees until twists are golden brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
