Custard Cornbread

Marion Cunningham & Deborah Madison get all the credit.  And this isn't the best picture, but we ate it all up too quickly.  I'm dashing this down here so we'll have it available when needed.  An 8 or 9 inch cast iron pan makes this rise beautifully and using organic or stone ground cornmeal helps make the separation into a custard even more apparent - a beautifully delicate orange crust rises to the top above the custard.

Buttermilk Custard Cornbread
(350 degrees, bakes for 35-45 minutes until it doesn't jiggle and pulls away from the sides slightly)
1 1/3 cup organic cornmeal
1/3 cup a/p flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup milk or cream-buttermilk combo
1 cup cream, reserved 'til the end
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter

• Put butter in skillet and put in oven and turn oven on. 
• Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
• Combine eggs and buttermilk, milk, cream-buttermilk combo, reserving that last cup of cream separately.
• Once the butter is melted and the skillet hot, swirl it to coat the pan then pour into the wet ingredients.
• Combine wet into dry ingredients(still reserving that last cup of cream) until just combined.
• Pour into that hot skillet and bring over to the oven.
• Open the oven door, put the skillet on the oven rack and pour that last cup of cream gently on top of the batter.
• Slide gingerly into the oven and bake as above.
• Serve with syrup or any special butters you happen to have on hand from visiting guests.

Looks like it will serve 6-8, but it serves only 4...4 very content people that is.