Cornmeal Hotcakes

There are many reasons to keep your kitchen pantry tidy, including finding hidden food items that you can quickly turn into a meal. I noticed a bag of cornmeal sitting in our pantry, and realized it had been there for more than a year. I sought out a weekend brunch recipe that would use up a significant portion of the cornmeal, from a rather unusual source. We’ve had “The Wilderness Chef” on our bookshelf for fifteen years. My husband enjoys backpacking, and whenever he goes on a trip he bakes a loaf of the author’s Miller’s Bread. Other than that, this cookbook basically sits dormant. I pulled it out on a whim, and discovered a Cornmeal Hotcakes recipe that I was able to easily adapt.

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Cornmeal Hotcakes

While I made these at home on our oven stove top, I can imagine how much fun they'd be to make over an open campfire, early on a brisk morning in the mountains. The original recipe called for soy-milk powder (blended with water), and while that makes sense for a backpacker, I recommend using whatever milk you normally stock in your refrigerator. I recommend serving these hotcakes with syrup, jam, or sour cream; they're also great on their own.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cornmeal, dairy-free, gluten-free, pancake, wheat-free

Servings: 4

Calories: 402kcal

Author: planfulcook

Ingredients

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup coconut milk or preferred milk
• 2 large eggs
• coconut or avocado oil for frying

Instructions

• Combine the cornmeal, sugar, salt, and boiling water. Stir quickly to produce a smooth batter. Let stand for 2 minutes.
• Beat the eggs and milk together, and then stir into the cornmeal batter.
• Brush a little oil on a non-stick flat skillet, over medium-high heat. Pour scant 1/4 cups of batter on the skillet. Be careful – some of the corn grains will pop (and they're hot!) The cakes will spread and form a lace pattern around the edges. Turn them over to brown both sides.
• You can keep cooked cakes warm in a 170 degree F oven or serve hot from the skillet.

Notes

This recipe was adapted from “The Wilderness Chef” by Claudine Martin.