Jalapeño Corn Cakes
We combine buttermilk and cornmeal with spicy pickled jalapeños for a savory tex-mex-inspired pancake. Served with a bean chili to soak up the flavors, they are a whole-grain, low-fat alternative to chips! We do keep chips of a different sort around for the children, chocolate that is, to enjoy with their corn cakes! Originally served as part of: Spicy Pancakes.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ cups buttermilk (divided)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- canned, pickled, sliced jalapeños
- semi-sweet, for the children chocolate chips
Instructions
We pre-heat the griddle to 375°.
In a large bowl, we combine the dry ingredients and mix them well with a whisk.
In a medium-sized bowl, we beat the eggs slightly with the whisk. We add 1 cup of the buttermilk and stir until combined. We add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. It is a little thick, so we gradually add more buttermilk to make it a cake-like consistency.
Using our metal ¼ cup measuring cup, we fill it a little more than halfway with batter and dump the batter onto the griddle for each pancake. For the spicy version, we immediately distribute three drained pickled jalapeños onto each cake. For those pancakes that will become chocolate chip pancakes, we distribute the chocolate chips.
When the edge of the pancakes begin to harden, after 2 minutes or so, we flip them. We cook the opposite side for another minute and serve immediately. We end up with about 16 corn cakes.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ cups buttermilk (divided)
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- canned pickled jalapeño slices (drained)
- semisweet chocolate chips (for the kids)
Instructions
What's a kid job?
A Kid job is a step kids can help with, with a grown-up nearby, not one they do on their own. Every kid is different, so go by what your child can do rather than by age. Roughly:
- Little ones (about 2 to 4) can stir, pour in ingredients a grown-up has measured, tear lettuce, wash vegetables and sprinkle toppings.
- Older kids (about 5 to 8) can also measure and level, crack eggs, whisk, roll and cut out dough, and put things together.
- Bigger kids can read the recipe aloud, keep track of the timer, and take on more of the cooking as they're ready.
Steps with a knife, microplane, skewers, stove, oven, grill or hot oil, or with raw meat, poultry or seafood, are marked Grown-up. Kids can still watch those, from a safe distance.
Heat the griddle to 375°F.
Kid job
Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Kid job
Beat the eggs lightly in a medium bowl and stir in 1 cup of buttermilk (and the oil). Stir into the dry ingredients just until combined, then thin with more buttermilk until it’s like cake batter.
For each cake, pour a little over half a ¼-cup measure of batter onto the griddle. Top right away with 3 jalapeño slices, or chocolate chips for the kids.
Grown-up
When the edges set, after about 2 minutes, flip and cook 1 minute more. Makes about 16. Serve with a bean chili.