Corn Cakes

I’ve been on a corn kick lately. Can you blame me? Corn is so sweet and tender right now.

We’ve been eating plenty of corn on the cob, simply boiled and coated with butter and sea salt. A couple of weeks ago I made a delicious creamed corn. And recently I made these fantastic corn cakes.

Corn cakes are a cross between cornbread and pancakes, but less sweet. The great thing is that you can take them in any direction you want.

If you’re looking for something savory, serve them with salsa and sour cream, or alongside a bowl of chili. If you want something sweet, drizzle them with maple syrup (that’s how I ate them).

Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda, pepper and sugar.

In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, egg and buttermilk.

In skillet, sauté the scallions, jalapeno and corn kernels. I had some leftover creamed corn, so I used that in place of the corn kernels.

Add the corn mixture to the buttermilk.

Stir in the cheese. I had some shredded pepperjack on hand, and it gave my corn cakes a nice, spicy kick.

Now add the cheese/corn/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is just combined.

Cook the corn cakes in a little olive oil, just as you would cook pancakes. 

They need about 2 to 3 minutes per side to get nice and golden brown.

Serve!

Corn Cakes

Recipe from Sweet Happy Life

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup fresh corn kernels (frozen or canned would also work)

1/4 cup diced scallions, white parts only

1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

2-3 Tbsp olive oil for cooking

1.      In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda, pepper and sugar. Set aside.

2.      In a small bowl combine the melted butter, egg and buttermilk. Set aside.

3.      In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 teaspoon olive oil and saute the scallions, jalapeno and corn kernels until cooked through, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.

4.      Add the corn mixture to the bowl with the buttermilk. Stir in the Monterey Jack cheese. Add the contents of this bowl to the larger bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until the batter is just combined.

5.      Carefully wipe down the large skillet you used for the scallions with a damp paper towel. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat, swirling the oil around to coat the entire pan. Drop the batter onto the skillet 1/4 cup at a time, cooking 2-3 minutes on each side or until the cakes are golden brown. Add more olive oil between batches, if needed.

6.      Transfer finished cakes to a paper-towel lined plate and continue cooking the rest of the cakes.

7.      Serve warm, with sour cream, salsa, maple syrup, or any other topping that sounds good to you!

Makes 12 corn cakes