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 butter into 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!
Finding Thalhimers 
this looks great. thanks, E!
Unbelievable! Fantastic! Best I have ever eaten! Love Thalhimers spoonbread. Thanks for sharing the recipe – time for another book…..
Reblogged this on Cool Yule: A Christmas Blog.
I’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.
Hi, 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!
Thank 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
Hi – 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.
Spoonbread 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.
We 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).
Oh brilliant. I’m definitely going to give it a try. Thank you so much for your quick reply. Xx
Hi. 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.
Lol 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
So good with fried chicken!
I;d love to have the Mississippi Club sandwich recipe. That’s what I always ordered!
I’ve had it with breakfast like grits …
The 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
Yes!! 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. 🙂
Yes! 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.
I think you’ll find this recipe to be more savory than sweet! Let me know what you think.
I 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…….
Thanks for sharing, Darlene! What was your favorite lunch in the Richmond Room?
Darlene Rice, that’s my maiden name! Where are you from? Do you actually eat this bread with a spoon?
It don’t have to be any particular brand. I have eaten this my whole life not using any brand particularly.
Any chance you have the caramel fudge recipe?
I wish I did, Alice! So sorry I do not.
OMG the caramel fudge! That was amazing. A childhood treat!
one of my husband’s favorite dishes and I always have it with fried oysters and homemade tartar sauce in the fall…..yum!
Oooh…love the pairing of spoonbread and oysters! I will have to try that. Thanks, Lynn!
So mine seemed to take longer to bake and collapsed after I took it out. Is this normal? Never made spoonbread before.
I 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.
Yes, 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
My 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.
Love 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!
I 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!!!!
My grandma made spoonbread each Friday with fried fish.
I 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.
Brings back memories of the Richmond Room and their great food!
Thanks for this. Brings back fond memories. Are there recipes in the book?
Hello! 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.
Haven’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.
Thank you for the recipe I