Cornbread

Recipe No. 39 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Breads. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Flour, sifted — 2 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Sugar, granulated — 6 ounces (¼ mess kit cup)
• Cornmeal — 3 pounds (3 mess kit cups)
• Baking powder — 3 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)
• Salt — 2 ounces (4 mess kit spoons)
• Milk, evaporated — 2 — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Eggs, beaten — 10 eggs (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Shortening, melted — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)

Directions

Key ingredients

Baking Soda & Baking Powder · Evaporated Milk

1. Sift flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together.
2. Mix milk and water; add beaten egg.
3. Add milk and egg mixture to dry ingredients; partially mix. Add melted shortening. Stir only until dry and liquid ingredients are combined. Avoid overmixing.
4. Spread mixture in greased baking pans. Bake in hot oven (425° F.) about 20 minutes.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Flour, sifted — 2½ oz Sugar, granulated — ½ oz Cornmeal — 3¾ oz Baking powder — about 1½ tsp Salt — about 1 tsp Milk, evaporated — ½ can (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 5 tbsp Eggs, beaten — ¾ eggs Shortening, melted — 1¼ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 39, Breads. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.