Recipe Friday--White Trash Fusion

I have this thing I can do. When I'm with people who annoy me I can turn on automated-intermittent-nod-and-smile and go to a different part of my brain and amuse myself.

This is a skill that comes in handy. Recently I was in such a situation and the subject my brain took up was White Trash Fusion food. I don't know why. I had never thought of it before. I haven't thought much about fusion food. In case you don't know what that is, it's combining two cuisines. Mexican lasagna would be an example.

There are some things I thought of:

• Potted Meat Ravioli
• Spam Wellington
• Vienna Sausage in a Port Wine Reduction.
• Pigs' Feet Bourguignon

Before you think I'm making fun of anything, I would like to point out that there is one of those things that I would actually eat. Guess which one. What's more, at one time or another, I have eaten all of the White Trash elements, if not in the fusioned-up forms. I am who I am.

Anyway. Then, as it always does eventually, my mind turned to dessert.

• Cornbread Pudding
  

Then, I thought, That's not amusing. That's a possibility.

So I set about finding a recipe. It took a bit. Most of the ones I found were savory, but I finally happened on this one with cinnamon and maple syrup. Yum. And think of the texture. It has raisins, which I like and would use. If you don't, some chopped apple or dried cranberries would be good. Come to think of it, a few pecans or walnuts wouldn't be amiss either.

I'm going to go ahead and admit I have not tested this. I was going to, but I have had a nasty, nasty summer cold. I've done good to tell The Guy to go buy some Chinese.

But I will try this. I think it will be a good ballgame food. But what's not?

Cornbread Pudding

Make a pan of cornbread. If you don't know how, use a mix or buy some at the grocery store. It comes frozen and sometimes in the bakery section. I wouldn't normally touch that stuff with someone else's ten foot pole because it has sugar in it and sugar is nasty in cornbread if you are going to eat it with beans. However, this is dessert, so go ahead.

Cool or thaw it and cut it into cubes. You will need about 6 cups.

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup of raisins

Lightly butter a nine inch casserole dish.

Preheat oven to 325.

Spread the cubed corn bread on a cookie sheet and toast cornbread cubes for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven up to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the milk, cream, eggs, and maple syrup. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the sugar mixture to the liquids and mix.

Place cooled cornbread cubes in the casserole dish and sprinkle with raisins. Pour the liquid over the cubes, evenly. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes to absorb liquid.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes, until brown. The middle should be moist but set.