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Bolivian Pepper Jack Cornbread (Humintas al Horno)

Bolivian Pepper Jack Cornbread (Humintas al Horno)

In Bolivia, street vendors sell humintas—savory-sweet corn cake treats, made with fresh corn kernels, filled with cheese, and sealed in husks.

  • Makes
    12 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour 15 minutes
  • Active time plus cooling
    20 minutes active
  • Rating

Bolivian humintas al horno is not unlike a large, spiced tamale (anise and cinnamon are common) enriched with cheese. Its crumb is moist and dense, and its flavor is savory-sweet. Though traditional recipes might wrap the corn mixture in husks before baking, we opted for the ease of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Corn kernels cut from fresh ears work best here. To minimize the mess when cutting, stand the ear in the center of a large bowl. With a long knife, slice downward along the length of the ear, letting the kernels fall into the bowl. If fresh corn isn't in season, thawed frozen kernels are a fine substitute; drain in a colander before using. Refrigerate leftover cornbread for up to two days. To rewarm, wrap in foil and heat in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or melt a little butter in a nonstick skillet, add slices and heat for one to two minutes per side.

Tip

Don’t use coarse cornmeal; its texture is too gritty. And don't overbake this cornbread or it will be crumbly and dry.

Ingredients
  • 363

    grams (2½ cups) finely ground cornmeal, plus more for pan

  • 71

    grams (⅓ cup) white sugar

  • 2

    teaspoons baking powder

  • ¼

    teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1

    tablespoon anise seed

  • 1 ¼

    teaspoons table salt

  • 375

    grams (3 cups) corn kernels (cut from 3 to 4 large ears; see headnote)

  • 1

    orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

  • 1 ½

    cups whole milk

  • 4

    large eggs

  • 170

    grams (12 tablespoons) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled

  • 227

    grams (2 cups) pepper Jack cheese, cut into ½-inch chunks

Step 1

Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with cornmeal, then tap out the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, cayenne, aniseed and salt. Set aside.

Step 2

In a blender, combine the corn, bell pepper and milk. Process until very smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the eggs and butter. Whisk in the cornmeal mixture until smooth. Pour about half the batter into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle the cheese on top, then add the remaining batter in an even layer.

Step 3

Bake until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

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