Stolen cornbread

I fully admit it--not only am I stealing the recipe, but I'm also stealing the photograph. I could have taken my own photo but there was nothing left but crumbs when I thought about taking a photo. I stole the recipe from Ina Garten and I stole the photo from her too. But I'll give her full credit. She's the queen!

It's a great cornbread, a very thick batter that's more like scone dough in consistency. The final product holds together beautifully and has a texture somewhere between biscuits and focaccia.

Don't worry about the two sticks of butter and the two cups of cheese--they have no fat at all in them. (And now you can call me both a thief and a liar.)

Ina's Cheddar Dill Cornbread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1 cup minced fresh dill (no fresh available so I used 2 tablespoons dried dill)

Directions

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar and the dill, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.