chile-spiked spoonbread

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.

Lightly butter a 1½ quart round casserole. In medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until the cornmeal is quite thick, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter until melted. Then whisk in the milk. Add the beaten eggs and whisk well. Whisk in the chile pepper and baking powder. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared casserole. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Recipe By : Kwanzaa by Eric V. Copage