Jill Santopietro's Cornmeal-Cranberry Pancakes

If I ever have a restaurant, or a homey little cafe, or a bed and breakfast out in the wild, these will be my pancakes. Not only because cranberry and cornmeal are a combination made in heaven and should be served at every breakfast, every day, but because these pancakes are all the things bad pancakes are not.

They are not too sweet, and the chopped cranberries enliven each bite with a sour tang that is softened by a slick of maple syrup. They are not too heavy, the ridiculous amount of baking powder ensures a fluffy crumb (how fluffy? this fluffy!). They are soft and yielding, yet the cornmeal threads through each one with an agreeable crunch and gives these cakes some body and character. Adapted from the Breakfast Goddess herself, I think this recipe is probably worth the price of the book (incidentally? this is my favorite shower gift, along with a seasoned cast-iron pan).

I have to say that when I first saw this recipe, in Sunday's New York Times Magazine, I was a bit turned off. For these gorgeous pancakes were apparently supposed to be drenched in not only a pumpkin-pie spiced (eek) apple compote, but with a cream-cheese caramel sauce to boot. I sort of had to refrain from snorting at the idea. Luckily for all of us, both of those sauces can be left by the wayside. Why would you want to muffle this sparkling example of a pancake with a barrage of spices and gloppy sauces?

Would Johnny Apple really have endorsed that?

So keep your condiments to a minimum, maple syrup or, if it must be, confectioner's sugar, and make sure you put these on your weekend to-do list. If you're like me and simply couldn't wait until the weekend, get up a little earlier tomorrow. You and your co-breakfasters will be so happy you did. And don't anyone go opening a bed and breakfast featuring these pancakes before I do. Or, if you do, let me know so I can plan my next long weekend.

Cornmeal-Cranberry Pancakes
Makes about 24 4-inch pancakes

10 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks, plus more for greasing pan
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
2 cups flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ cups chopped fresh cranberries
Maple syrup

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and milk until the butter melts. Set aside until lukewarm, about 15 minutes. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Slowly stir in ½ cup of the warm milk mixture (it cannot be hot, or it will cook the eggs). Pour in the remaining milk mixture and stir to combine.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring slowly, just until the dry ingredients are well moistened. The batter should be lumpy and will start to bubble.

3. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat until a few drops of water sprinkled on it sizzle. Lightly grease the pan with butter, then add 3 to 4 tablespoons batter to make a 4-inch pancake. As soon as the batter sets, sprinkle the top with cranberries. Cook until bubbles break on the surface. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds, or until the bottom is lightly browned. Repeat, buttering the pan and adjusting the heat as needed. Serve with maple syrup.

Comments

[Molly]

Ooh my my my - these sound so good! I'm not always big on cranberries in baked goods - or things resembling baked goods, like pancakes - but you're going a good way toward convincing me, my friend. The cornmeal crumb sounds heavenly. I'd like to reserve a room at your B&B, please.

P.S. Love your go-to shower gift!

[RA]

Oh wow, yum. Pancakes are my favorite of the breakfast breads (is that what you call them? kind of like breakfast meats?) and these look so great. I will have to coerce my in-house breakfast chef to take a gander at these...

[Lia]

Thank you, thank you! I've been searching for the perfect pancake recipe -- and I finally tried the Dutch one at Prune this weekend which is definitely the best I've ever had in a restaurant -- but I prefer to have them at home, so this recipe is going on my weekend to-do list right now!

[erin]

I've been in a grocery shopping rut lately. I find this happens around this time of year and I would like to offer you (and my other favorite food blogs) a challenge. I've noted themed entries in the past. There seems to be an unspoken collective commitment to making no-knead bread, for instance. So, I am challenging you to write about your typical trip to the grocery. Do you decide what you will bake ahead of time? Do you go to specialty stores and farmer's markets or belong to a food co-op or just go to your local large chain? I'd love to see a list or two, as well. I hope you do not find this comment to presumptuous.

Best,
Erin Fae

(ps...I also work in publishing )

[lindy]

Clever of you. I saw the recipe, and was put off by the gloopy condiments-but failed to note the appealing recipe beneath. Looks and sounds lovely.

[Anne]

Like Lindy, I totally chucked this because of the fussy condiments too! Now you've inspired me to look a little deeper. And I have some cornmeal and leftover cranberries, too.

PS: I made those Chocolate/Heath Bar cookies for a cookie swap yesterday and they were fabulous.

[Jill Santopietro]

I'm so glad you tried and liked the pancakes. In keeping with the bongo room's recipe, I included the apples and caramel sauce.

Have you tried making the apples? I can attest that they are quite delicious--on these pancakes (or warm on top of vanilla ice cream). They're not as sweet as you might imagine. I do, however, completely agree with you that the pancakes can stand alone, with a bit of maple syrup, of course. And i prefer them alone, with a dollop of apples on the side.

When the chef at the bongo room told me he used pumpkin pie spice, i cringed as well. But after reading the spice's label, i realized its simply a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.

Thanks again for trying them, and enjoy!

best, jill

[Rebecca]

These look and sound so good! I actually have that little cookbook but have never made that recipe. I like her "Supper Book" as well.

[Tanna]

Cranberries and corn meal! That would be a winning combo. These look great. Now what about in a waffle? I may have to try something here.

[for Joke!]

Wait! how much baking powder does it need then?

[for Joke!]

Never mind I checked out the NYTimes article. Man, I LOVE corn pancakes!!!

[Luisa]

Molly - what I love about fresh cranberries in baked things is that their tartness cuts right through the sweetness. Something tells me you might like these...

RA - breakfast breads does sound funny. Pastries? Nah. I don't know!

Lia - smart woman ;) A Dutch pancake is also a glorious thing, though. So thin and airy!

Erin - thanks for including me, but I'm a little meme'd out right now. I'll keep this in mind for a possible future post.

Lindy - I wonder how many other people that happened to.

Anne - aren't those things amazing? Good lord. I'm glad they were well-received.

Jill - The pancakes really are fantastic - thank you so much for the recipe. I didn't make the apples because they just didn't jive in my mind with the pancakes (I prefer applesauce cold and plain in a bowl) but it sounds like they could perhaps warrant a second look.

Rebecca - isn't she great? Do you have the Fannie Farmer cookbook too?

Tanna - a waffle! Good idea. The batter seems a bit delicate, but I think it could work. Let me know what happens!

Joke - 2 whole tablespoons and 2 teaspoons! I sort of rubbed my eyes when I saw that. But light and airy those corn cakes are. Yum.

[Sarah]

I'm not even a pancake person, but YUM. I heart cranberries.

[deb]

I love this recipe for many, many reasons: 1. I have exactly that amount of fresh cranberries left and haven't figured out how not to waste them yet. 2. I feel that in everything besides cranberry sauces these days, there's an overuse of dried cranberries, loaded with sugar, sulfites, and gosh-knows-what, abadoning the far more exciting fresh ones. 3. Robert Apple, of course. 4. I have a "when I open a B&B" recipe list too! I can't wait to find out if they make my menu, too.

[Lorna]

Jill, You really missed out in not at least trying the apple compote and caramel sauce. I made this recipe on Christmas day, and made both sauces, and it was totally amazing, just as recommended. The compote is warm and spicy, and there is just a small drizzle of caramel on top of that. Give it a try some time. I think you will be amazed at the taste. My family voted them the best pancakes they have ever eaten!

[Mary Beth Sancomb-Moran]

I made the pancakes for breakfast this morning and we loved them! I had extra batter, so I added the cranberries and baked them in muffin tins - they make great cranberry muffins, too!

[nbm]

I made these this morning for my mother -- with blueberries instead of cran -- and they were dee-lish. Thanks. I do like a little something different among my flours. Also, I served them with plain yogurt -- I got the good Greek stuff since it was special for Mom.

[Holly]

I made these yesterday, also with blueberries instead of cranberries. Delicious!