December 7, 2011 by findingthalhimers
In today’s Food Section of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, I noticed that they had included a recipe for Thalhimers’ Richmond Room Spoonbread in a “Recipes Remembered” column. What a great holiday side dish! Here it is for you to make at home. Mine never tastes as good as the ACTUAL Thalhimers’ spoon bread, but memories are always romanticized with the passage of time. Let me know how it works out for you by sharing your results on the Finding Thalhimers Facebook page!
THALHIMERS’ RICHMOND ROOM SPOONBREAD
(courtesy: Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Makes 9 servings
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup white cornmeal
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (Must be Rumford brand, according to Thalhimers’ staff)
1 pinch salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour butterinto an 8-inch-square baking pan. Place cornmeal in a mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over. Mix well. Stir in flour, milk, eggs, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until firm and golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
Enjoy!
Posted in Uncategorized | 41 Comments
41 Responses
on December 8, 2011 at 3:35 am | Reply
Judy King CrockerUnbelievable! Fantastic! Best I have ever eaten! Love Thalhimers spoonbread. Thanks for sharing the recipe – time for another book…..
on November 24, 2012 at 5:10 pm | Reply
Mary Fletcher JonesReblogged this on Cool Yule: A Christmas Blog.
on July 9, 2016 at 4:55 am | Reply
MandiI’ve never heard of this. It looks soooooo tasty though that I’d like to try it but….. what do I do with it once I make it. Is it a desert. Sorry if I sound dense but as I’ve said I have NEVER heard of it but would love to try it.
on July 11, 2016 at 4:04 pm | Reply
findingthalhimersHi, Mandi…Looks like you’re in the U.K., so spoonbread might be a bit foreign to you! It’s a traditional Southern food in the U.S. that is served as a sidedish. I think it probably evolved from the British Yorkshire pudding. This particular recipe is from a department store that served it in Richmond, Virginia. Enjoy!
on July 11, 2016 at 4:15 pm
MandiThank you for your reply. Yes I’m from England. We can have Yorkshire pudding with a roast dinner but my mum also has eaten it with jam as a desert. What would be best to serve this with? I love experimenting with food and trying new things. Xx
on August 4, 2019 at 12:16 pm | Reply
JoyHi – my mother who was born in 1907 made this often as a bread substitute. It is eaten with a fork because it is soft and buttery. I grew up
With this in my Richmond home and it makes me smile just to see the picture.on September 3, 2019 at 8:27 pm | Reply
Donna MillerSpoonbread goes wonderful with fried fish and cabbage. Or some form of seafood. My mom prepared it a lot. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll make my own, now that my mom’s gone.
on July 11, 2016 at 4:22 pm | Reply
findingthalhimersWe always ate it served with meat — maybe chicken or ham — and a vegetable like green beans. But I think your mum’s idea is wonderful! Think of spoonbread like a souffle. It could be savory (add cheese) or sweet (add chocolate).
on July 11, 2016 at 4:39 pm | Reply
MandiOh brilliant. I’m definitely going to give it a try. Thank you so much for your quick reply. Xx
on July 11, 2016 at 4:56 pm
GerriHi. I’m from Virginia and grew up with this dish. My family always liked it dripping in butter. May not be as healthy but oh sooo yummy. Especially with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh green beans from the garden and spoon bread instead of buscuits. Good memories.
on July 12, 2016 at 1:26 pm
MandiLol Gerri. That does sound gorgeous but I don’t think I’d better eat it dripping in butter. I need to loose a couple of stone as it is 😃. But it is noted for the future lol. Xxx
on March 16, 2017 at 9:57 pm | Reply
EmilySo good with fried chicken!
on October 28, 2019 at 11:52 am
Penney MartinI;d love to have the Mississippi Club sandwich recipe. That’s what I always ordered!
on July 12, 2016 at 11:23 am | Reply
Vida Henry-GoochI’ve had it with breakfast like grits …
on July 19, 2016 at 10:05 am | Reply
Vickie sandersonThe very best thing in the world to serve spoonbread with is fried fish. I live in ashland virginia. I love seafood and always have spoonbread with it. Hope you enjoy it. Next your gonna have to try making no bake cookies! Yum. Now im getting hungry! Lol
on February 3, 2020 at 8:57 pm | Reply
DeniseYes!! I was never a fan because of the texture but I do remember my grandma and her bestie having fried fish and spoon bread. Great memory. 🙂
on September 3, 2016 at 9:36 pm | Reply
Anne Marie WhittakerYes! I remember the tea room in Richmond in the very early sixties. I wore white gloves and a hat. I can’t wait to try this recipe; most are too sweet.
on September 6, 2016 at 2:55 pm | Reply
findingthalhimersI think you’ll find this recipe to be more savory than sweet! Let me know what you think.
on September 4, 2016 at 8:21 pm | Reply
Darlene RiceI Darlene Rice worked downtown Thalhimers Beauty Salon as asst Manager for over 19 yrs, and ate lunch with my good friend Marie Tolley in The Richmond Room every day.Food was fantastic by Chef Danny.Miss this Dept Store more than any one can believe…….
on September 6, 2016 at 2:54 pm | Reply
findingthalhimersThanks for sharing, Darlene! What was your favorite lunch in the Richmond Room?
on July 23, 2019 at 10:52 pm | Reply
DarleneDarlene Rice, that’s my maiden name! Where are you from? Do you actually eat this bread with a spoon?
on September 5, 2016 at 9:26 pm | Reply
DaleIt don’t have to be any particular brand. I have eaten this my whole life not using any brand particularly.
on October 25, 2019 at 4:13 pm | Reply
SusanOMG the caramel fudge! That was amazing. A childhood treat!
on September 10, 2016 at 2:06 pm | Reply
lynnatthevintagenestone of my husband’s favorite dishes and I always have it with fried oysters and homemade tartar sauce in the fall…..yum!
on September 12, 2016 at 12:08 pm | Reply
findingthalhimersOooh…love the pairing of spoonbread and oysters! I will have to try that. Thanks, Lynn!
on September 17, 2016 at 5:33 pm | Reply
Ben WalkerSo mine seemed to take longer to bake and collapsed after I took it out. Is this normal? Never made spoonbread before.
on September 19, 2016 at 12:21 pm | Reply
findingthalhimersI recently made it with soymilk instead of whole milk, and it took three times longer to bake! As long as a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out cleanly, it’s done.
on January 9, 2017 at 5:58 pm | Reply
Betty JellieYes, spoon bread does collapse when taken out of the oven. It is wonderful with a slice of cheese put in the middle when served on your plate & of course, butter. My Mother made wonderful spoon bread
on April 11, 2017 at 5:52 pm | Reply
BethMy grandmother, a Virginian, always served spoon bread with sausages and baked apples! Perfection! This recipe is very close to the one I use. I will give it a try.
on July 8, 2017 at 12:56 pm | Reply
debraLove this! By the way, can someone find the Thalheimer’s 7 layer bar cake recipe? With the yellow cake layers, light choc. cream fillings & dark choc. icing!???/ Was to die for!
on September 9, 2018 at 3:44 pm | Reply
Sandy BeasonI have been searching for Thalhimers cream horn recipe. My friends and I would always go by the bakery in Petersburg’s Walnut Mall Thalhimers and buy this pastry. I just wish I could have the recipe!!!!
on February 21, 2019 at 8:41 pm | Reply
ANTHONY JORDANMy grandma made spoonbread each Friday with fried fish.
on July 25, 2019 at 12:40 am | Reply
Sarah ClarkeI too would love to find the Thalhimer’s 7 layer bar cake recipe. I remember going with my Aunt to Thalhimer’s when I was about 11 years old and she would order this cake and split it with me.
on September 7, 2019 at 2:22 pm | Reply
Dina GieseBrings back memories of the Richmond Room and their great food!
on October 23, 2019 at 11:31 pm | Reply
Norma ChildressThanks for this. Brings back fond memories. Are there recipes in the book?
on November 27, 2020 at 4:56 pm | Reply
JamesHello! I LOVE this! I’ve been looking for both the Thalhimer’s and the S&W spoonbread recipes. I was born in and grew up in Richmond – and there was nothing better than going to the Richmond Room on the 6th floor of Thalhimer’s downtown. Even after I left home and got married, and particularly after dad passed away, I took my mother to Thalhimer’s downtown every week (until the store closed) and we’d always have lunch at the Richmond Room. Nothing like a weekly fix of Thalhimer’s spoonbread! I moved to the Midwest 20 years ago – so having a little slice of Richmond now and then is a balm for the soul.
on March 31, 2021 at 5:52 pm | Reply
Maryann HollidayHaven’t made this yet. Excited, my family is from Louisa VA and this sounds like their exact recipe. Only my Aunt could made the spoon bread. We often had it for breakfast and sometime dinner. Glad to see that this doesn’t call for whipped egg whites. My aunt never whipped whites but she beat the eggs well before adding them.
on August 16, 2021 at 4:50 pm | Reply
JerryThank you for the recipe I
Judy King Crocker
Mandi
Joy
Donna Miller
Emily
Vida Henry-Gooch
Vickie sanderson
Denise
Anne Marie Whittaker
Dale
Susan
Beth
debra
Sandy Beason
ANTHONY JORDAN
Sarah Clarke
Dina Giese
Norma Childress
James
Maryann Holliday
JerryComments RSS
