Nothing iffy with Jiffy

Look up the word "jiffy" in the dictionary and you'll find this definition: "in a moment." Synonyms may be suggested, such as "split second," or "in the blink of an eye," or if the dictionary is given to informality, "like a bat out of hell."

It seems to me, however, that a dictionary could hardly do better than simply showing a picture of the iconic small box with the blue logo at the top that says Jiffy. That box, universally recognized as the gateway to perfect cornbread or corn muffins, is what millions of people think of when they hear the word jiffy.

The more than 1.5 million boxes of Jiffy manufactured daily and sold in every state in the country account for over 90 percent of sales of corn muffin mix in the U.S. The product is even more popular in terms of sales than the ubiquitous Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Jiffy Mix can be used to make not just cornbread but other dishes such as this Cranberry Cornmeal Cake.Submitted by Tom Harte

So now that the trees are relinquishing their leaves, the evenings are getting progressively cooler, and the holidays are rapidly approaching, it's time once again for hearty soups, stews, and chilis, which means it's once again cornbread season,and that means it's also Jiffy season as well.

Now you might wonder why anyone would need to resort to a boxed mix to make cornbread when making the dish from scratch is so easy. Even if you take into account having to gather separate ingredients from the cupboard and measure and combine them, it's hardly more difficult than using a mix.

Jiffy Mix can be used to make not just cornbread but other dishes such as this Cranberry Cornmeal Cake.Submitted by Tom Harte

But Jiffy is more than a time saver, as Kelly Fields, author of "The Good Book of Southern Baking: A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes, and Cornbread" (a volume referred to by some as the new Bible of Southern baking), observes. She notes that the mix appeals to folks who are not only short on time, but short on gumption. It's just less trouble to use Jiffy and, as I've found, it's more reliable. Almost foolproof, its results are as predictable as the ending of a Hallmark movie. Thus, Chef Fields offers readers of her book over a dozen ways to enhance Jiffy mix cornbread, including adding canned pumpkin.

Given that fact, I'd say that if she can countenance the use of Jiffy mix, surely so can I. She is, after all, a James Beard Award winner who has been named a chef of the year in New Orleans, where she runs Willa Jean bakery, and her book, when it was published in 2020 was cited by the New York Times and Bon Appetit as one of the best cookbooks of the year.

So I do not feel guilty using Jiffy. In fact, I'm grateful for Mabel Holmes, a Michigan homemaker who invented the first version in 1930. Aghast at the hockey-puckish biscuits made by the single father of a son's friend, Holmes spent two years in her kitchen developing a way for making biscuits, and ultimately other baked goods, so easy, as she put it, "even a man could do it." Hers was the country's first baking mix, which preceded Bisquick by a year, and spawned the cornbread mix and over a dozen variations.

The results ever since have been a-maize-ing!

Savory cornbread biscotti begins with Jiffy Mix, whirred in a food processor with spices, scallions, and Parmesan cheese.Submitted by Tom Harte

Cornbread Biscotti

As this recipe adapted from Taste of Home demonstrates, Jiffy mix can be the ingredient in a variety of preparations besides cornbread, like this savory cornbread cookie.

• 2 packages (8 1/2 ounces each) Jiffy cornbread mix
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon each paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chopped scallions, green parts only
• 1/4 cup cubed cold butter
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg

In a food processor pulse cornbread mix, Parmesan, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, oregano, salt, and scallions until blended. Add butter and pulse until crumbly. Add egg and buttermilk and process to form a thick dough. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, divide dough in thirds and shape each into a 5x3-inch rectangle. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes or until firm, then cut each rectangle into ½-inch slices. Place cut side down on baking sheet, reduce oven to 300 degrees, and bake until golden, about 25 to 35 minutes.

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, with 1.5 million boxes turned out daily, is as much a tradition of fall as soups, stews, and chili.Submitted by Tom Harte