Whole Wheat Buttermilk Cornbread

It's been a rainy and cold week around here so running ovens and making warm meals is still a good way to spend an afternoon. I personally like the flavor and texture that whole wheat flour lends to a dish, so I adapted this recipe awhile ago. Truth is, nobody even knows the wheat flour is in there. I have managed to pull the wool over the eyes of even the most anti-nutrition guys in my life with this recipe; they don't even taste the severe lack of chemicals and fat (the latter of which we make up for in the general consumption because when you live in Wisconsin, you put butter on everything).

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Cornbread

1 cup applesauce
1 1/3 cups brown sugar*
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk**
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9x13" pan.
• In a large bowl, combine applesauce and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture. Stir in cornmeal, flour and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. 
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Serve hot with butter and honey. 

Other ways to enjoy it...

• Plain (seriously, it is so moist it doesn't need anything)
• As a side to soup or chili
• In a bowl with milk and possibly a little sugar or honey 

*One of these days I'm going to experiment with raw sugar or honey
**I never have buttermilk on hand so I do about 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in 2 cups of milk