Your email address is required to begin the subscription process. We will use it for customer service and other communications from Milk Street. You can unsubscribe from receiving our emails at any time.
Bolivian Pepper Jack Cornbread (Humintas al Horno)
Bolivian humintas al horno has a moist, dense crumb and a savory-sweet flavor. It's not unlike a large, spiced tamale (anise and cinnamon are common) enriched with cheese. Though traditional recipes might wrap the corn mixture in husks before baking, we opted for a standard 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Corn kernels cut from fresh ears work best here. To minimize the mess when cutting, stand the ear in the center of a large bowl. With a long knife, slice downward along the length of the ear, letting the kernels fall into the bowl. If fresh corn isn't in season, thawed frozen kernels are a fine substitute; drain in a colander before using. Refrigerate leftover cornbread for up two days. To rewarm, wrap in foil and heat in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or melt a little butter in a nonstick skillet, add slices and heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
12
Servings
Tip
Don’t use coarse cornmeal; its texture is too gritty. And don't overbake this cornbread or it will be crumbly and dry.
1 hour 15 minutes
20 minutes active
Ingredients
-
363
grams (2½ cups) finely ground cornmeal, plus more for pan
-
64
grams (⅓ cup) white sugar
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with cornmeal, then tap out the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, cayenne, anise seeds and salt. Set aside.
Pardon the interruption
You need to be a Milk Street Digital Member to see the full recipe
JOIN MILK STREET DIGITAL & PRINT
12 WEEKS FOR JUST $1
and get access to all of our recipes and articles online, as well as in print.
GET DIGITAL & PRINTReviews
June 14, 2023
My Favorite Cornbread
I may never make cornbread any other way again. This was so good! I used Sargento Fiesta pepper jack cheese, which has red bell, jalapeno, serrano and habanero peppers in it. I also used frozen corn dried out well on paper towels. Next time I make this, I'll cut the recipe in half and use an 8x8 glass baking pan. Thanks, Ms. Bruce & Milk Street team!
July 25, 2023
Crazy delicious, but...
... how could it not be, with 1.5 sticks of butter and a half-pound of cheese. It's like heart attack cornbread! Yummy as heck -- yet probably best to keep as a very occasional splurge for those of us who aren't ultra-marathoners. I'm no nutritional puritan, but it'd be great if Milk Street would be just a tad more focused on recipes that are practical not only in terms of preparation but also account for 'the way we eat now' (or aspire to!) Leaning on fat is a crutch, and with some creativity there are ways to pare it back and use it strategically, so that the cheese, butter, cream, etc. really counts. My 2 cents...
July 10, 2023
It's a lot!
I agree that making 1/2 this recipe would be good. It's a pretty rich cornbread, and I have a lot of leftovers. I'm not sure if it's my oven or the dish I used but it took more like 45-50 minutes to cook at 375 in a glass dish.
June 1, 2023
Question re: Anise Seeds
I'd like a clarification on Anise Seeds ingredient. Can the recipe substitute Fennel Seeds or Star Anise for Anise Seeds?
January 19, 2024
Assistance Request
I live in Italy. Can you recommend a substitution or work around using dried polenta? Thank you.
Become A Subscriber To Rate and Review All Our Recipes.
Please Log in or join today for $1.
Oh, do I love this. I grew up in Wisconsin, so cheese is a plus. I did not have the star anise the first time I made it , and behold, my husband had Chinese 5 spice in the cupboard. I never tried it before, and now I use it often and ordered the star anise from the spice store in the neighborhood. So good. Who knew that I could make the cornmeal from popcorn in my blender. So fun to use your recipes. I am getting to be quite the confident cook. Thank you!