Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, is the first of the three harvest festivals on the Wheel of the Year, celebrating the season’s first abundance.
Fresh baked bread is one of the main traditions of this celebration, what better way than with some sweet cornbread for the occasion.
Sweet golden honey and ripening ears of corn are both reminders of nature’s generosity, representing nourishment, prosperity, and the hard work that has carried the growing season to this point.
Honey has long been treasured as one of nature’s purest sweeteners, gathered through the remarkable efforts of honeybees whose pollination makes much of the harvest possible.
Corn has become a familiar symbol of late summer across North America, its golden kernels reflecting the warmth of the sun and the promise of a plentiful harvest.
Together, these ingredients capture the spirit of Lammas—gratitude for the earth’s bounty, appreciation for the cycles of nature, and the simple joy of sharing a meal with family and friends as the harvest season begins.
Sweet Skillet Cornbread
⅔ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 ⅔ cups milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 ⅓ cup cornmeal
4 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp butter for the pan
Preheat oven. To 400 degree F. Put a 12 inch cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheats (see notes for using a baking dish).
Cream ⅔ cup butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in milk and eggs.
Combine dry ingredients; stir into wet until just combined.
Remove hot skillet from oven and drop in the 1 tbsp butter to coat bottom and sides.
Pour batter into the hot skillet and return it to the hot oven. Cook for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cut into wedges and serve warm with butter and/or honey.
NOTE: do not preheat a baking dish, or it is likely to shatter . Also you won’t get the same crispy edges with a baking dish.. the hot cast iron skillet is the key in this!