What do you get when you combine sweet cornmeal, spicy cayenne, and rich Cheddar cheese with tangy pimientos? Why, you get the formula for the perfect hush puppy. And because I bake these up in mini muffin pans instead of frying them in the deep fryer, they are so much healthier and just about mess free. I serve hush puppies with almost anything, from eggs to fish to barbecue. Or you can just enjoy them on their own—maybe even slathered with a little more pimiento cheese on top.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup fine cornmeal
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 jar (4 ounces) sliced pimientos, drained and chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 °F. Lightly grease a 12 cup and a 6 cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using). In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and fold to combine. Fold in the onion, Cheddar, and pimient0
- Drop the batter by the tablespoonful evenly into the muffin cups. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the hush puppies are firm to the touch and the edges are golden brown. Serve the hush puppies warm.
- Drop rounded ½ teaspoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the wafer edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The wafers will keep crisp in an airtight container for about 2 weeks
Makes 18 Hush Puppies
More about Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, 250 Recipes All Lightened Up
Paula Deen has lost over 40 pounds and has maintained her weight loss for over two years by swapping out ingredients to reduce fat and calories. Paula’s key to weight loss is moderation and accountability, and one day a week she still enjoys good old southern cooking with biscuits and all. One does not have to give up taste when reducing calories, and these recipes are a testament to that. Paula shares 250 of her favorite recipes lightened up. This brand-new, New York Times best selling cookbook presents lightened up versions of fifty of her classic southern recipes and presents new recipes that cut the calories but not the delicious taste.
The New-York Times Best-Selling cookbook, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, 250 Favorite Recipes All Lightened Up, is now available now at Amazon, Costco, Barnes & Noble, Target, and your local bookstores!
