2tablespoonsbutter(I used the real thing this time around)
2tablespoonshoney
16ouncesfresh or frozen corn(thawed)
2tablespoonsbacon grease
Instructions
The night before, combine the coarse cornmeal with the buttermilk to soak. I stored mine in the fridge; Reinhart says to leave out overnight. If you refrigerate the cornmeal, pull it from the fridge to warm to room temperature before making the cornbread.
Arrange the bacon in a single layer in a shallow baking sheet or pan and bake at 375F for about 15 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon to a plate to drain. Pour the bacon grease into another container to use for greasing the cornbread pan.
Combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Separately, melt the butter. Stir in the honey to melt. Whisk the eggs, and add the slightly cooled honey butter. Whisk this into the cornmeal and buttermilk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Add the corn kernels.
Place 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in a 10-inch round pan or a 9x13 inch pan. Place in a 350F oven for 5-7 minutes to melt the grease. Once it's hot, pull the pan from the oven and carefully swirl the grease around to coat the pan. Scrape the batter into the hot pan. Crumble bacon on top of the batter. (Place a baking sheet on the rack below your usual baking rack if you're using a springform pan, in case it drips.) Bake the cornbread for 45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (I suspect that the 30 minutes bake time from the original recipe is for a 9x13 inch pan.) The recipe says to have the temperature reach at least 185F; I suspect that 190F might be preferable.