- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (1 cup)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped scallion (white and pale green parts only)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped drained pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- Special equipment: 2 well-seasoned cast-iron corn stick pans, each with 7 (5- by 1 1/2-inch) molds or a well-seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat pans in middle of oven 10 minutes.
- Whisk together cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and egg in another bowl and add cornmeal mixture with Cheddar, scallion, jalapeños, and 2 tablespoons butter, stirring, until just combined.
- Remove pans from oven and divide remaining 2 tablespoons butter among corn stick molds. Quickly divide batter among molds (about 3 tablespoons each) and bake until a tester comes out clean and tops are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Cool corn sticks in pans 3 to 5 minutes before removing from molds. Serve warm.