In the Oven: Cornmeal Griddle Cakes

Posting date is May 19!

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes
recipe source : Baked Explorations, p. 45

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter for the skillet

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil. Place the cornmeal in a large bowl. Stirring continuously, slowly pour the boiling water over the cornmeal. Keep stirring until the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, almost to room temperature. Add the brown sugar and stir until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until pale yellow. Add the buttermilk and whisk until blended. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, to the cornmeal in three parts (beginning and ending with the flour mixture), stirring after each addition until just combined. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat.

Add 1 or 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and make sure it coats the surface. Drop griddle cakes in ¼-cup batches into the skillet (they will spread – do not crowd the pan). Cook until the bottoms are medium-brown, about 3 minutes, and the tops are bubbly, then flip the griddle cakes over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes and serve immediately. Continue cooking and serving until all the batter is gone. Serve with generous amounts of sweet butter.

Excerpted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2010 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.