Amaranth Maple Cornbread

A little wedge of this rich, dense cornbread goes a long way.

The amaranth gives it a wonderful, crunchy texture.

Vegetable cooking spray
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked whole-grain amaranth
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400°.
Coat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray and 1 teaspoon oil. Place in a 400° oven for 7 minutes. Combine cornmeal and next 5 ingredients (cornmeal through salt) in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk, syrup, 2 tablespoons oil, and eggs in a small bowl; stir well with a wire whisk. Add to cornmeal mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into the preheated skillet; sprinkle the pecans over batter. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

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