Cornbread is one of the great treats of living in the south. One of the secrets to great southern cornbread is using a heavy skillet—usually cast-iron—and preheating it with the oven. The cornbread batter should be poured into a hot skillet for the crunchy crust that the best cornbread has.
This particular recipe recommends using an electric skillet. If you choose to follow that recipe, an electric skillet, according to the original recipe, only requires 250°, and should be baked with the vent open. It should still be preheated, of course.
If you use an electric skillet, you’ll have the evenly square or rectangular cornbread slices shown in that book’s photo. My cornbread is round, because I use a round skillet in the oven. That means pie-shaped slices, which are great with a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns.
Pie is always great for breakfast, even when it’s cornbread pie.
…long distance eating and drinking is perhaps the greatest single pleasure in life. It is the basis of health, good temper and sexual prowess. — Carl Randall (Life, Loves, and Meat Loaf)