All-Purpose Cornbread

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined; set aside.
2. In food processor or blender, process brown sugar, corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.
3. Using rubber spatula, make well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine. Add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth surface with rubber spatula.
4. Bake until cornbread is deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire rack, and turn right side up and let cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer, and serve. (Leftover cornbread can be wrapped in aluminum foil and reheated in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.)

SPICY JALAPEÑO-CHEDDAR CORNBREAD
Reduce salt to 1⁄2 teaspoon. Add 3⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine, and 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese to flour mixture and toss well to combine. Reduce brown sugar to 2 tablespoons and sprinkle 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese over batter in dish just before baking.

BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CORNBREAD
Reduce salt to 1⁄2 teaspoon. Reduce buttermilk to 3⁄4 cup and add 1⁄4 cup maple syrup to food processor along with buttermilk in step 2. Add 5 ounces fresh or 4 ounces (1 cup) frozen blueberries with melted butter in step 3. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over batter in baking dish just before baking.

MOLASSES-PECAN BUTTER
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1⁄4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine
4 teaspoons light molasses
2 teaspoons sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add pecans, molasses, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whip until combined, about 15 seconds, then increase speed to high and whip until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.

SWEET ORANGE BUTTER
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1⁄8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and salt and whip until combined, about 15 seconds, then increase speed to high and whip until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.

WHIPPED HONEY BUTTER
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch salt

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add honey and salt and whip until combined, about 15 seconds, then increase speed to high and whip until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.