Skip to main content

Corn Cakes with Shagbark Hickory Syrup

3.8

(3)

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

I always use white cornmeal, as do many southerners — it has better flavor and tends to have a finer grind. When traveling, I look for cornmeal from specialty mills, but at home I stick with Kentucky Kernel or Nunn-Better, which I get at the local grocery. I urge people to buy cornmeal that has been grown and ground close to home — freshness is more important than brand.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 16 (3-inch) pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal (preferably white and stone-ground; not coarse)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil plus additional for brushing
Accompaniments: butter and shagbark hickory syrup

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in egg, milk, and 1/2 tablespoon oil until combined.

    Step 2

    Brush a griddle or a 12-inch (nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron) skillet with oil and heat over moderate heat until hot. Using a scant 1/8 cup batter for each cake, cook corn cakes in batches of 4 until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn over with a spatula and cook until undersides are golden, about 45 seconds more. (Corn cakes will be thin.) Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. Stir batter and brush griddle or skillet with oil between batches.

Read More
Like “absolutely decadent” chocolate pudding and fattoush salad.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
A warmly spiced Ashkenazi charoset, perfect for your Passover seder—or spooned over yogurt the next morning.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
Like lemony risotto and tandoori-style cauliflower.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
The most efficient method takes less than an hour, but you might not even need it.