White Cornmeal

Cooking with white cornmeal can be exciting and delicious, but it also comes with its share of challenges. One of the common mistakes people make is not sieving or sifting the cornmeal before usage. This step is essential as it helps get rid of any lumps, thus ensuring a smoother texture in your dishes. Also, it's important to remember that cornmeal burns quite easily, so it's vital to constantly stir your mix when cooking or baking with it. Another challenge is choosing the right type of cornmeal. There are three types of cornmeal based on grind size: finely ground, medium ground, and coarsely ground. Finely ground white cornmeal is perfect for cakes, cookies and delicate pastries while coarsely ground is typically used for robust dishes like polenta. Lastly, cornmeal is often mistaken as a direct substitute for flour which can lead to disappointing results because cornmeal absorbs more liquid and also lacks gluten which provides structure in baked goods. Now, let's talk about how to get the most out of your white cornmeal. If you're making a bread or cake, try replacing a portion of the flour rather than all of it with white cornmeal. This way, you can enjoy the unique taste and texture of cornmeal without compromising the structural integrity of your baked goods. For an extra level of flavor, consider toasting your cornmeal in the oven for a few minutes until it becomes golden brown before adding it to your recipe. A little-known trick with cornmeal involves making your own rough sanding sugar by mixing cornmeal with sugar. This gives you a crunchy, decorative topping perfect for muffins and pies.