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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

ChezCindy: Corn Cakes with Bacon-Honey Butter

Corn Cakes with Bacon-Honey Butter

Corn.  Quite possibly America's favorite vegetable.  Ask any child what vegetables they like to eat, and certainly corn is most requested.  Fresh picked corn-on-the-cob, boiled for just a few minutes, slathered with butter and salt is our house favorite way to eat corn.  In the past few years, I created a simple corn dish that soon became known as "Mistee's favorite corn", a niece in the family.  I cut the corn off of the cob.  Added it to a large skillet, cooked it for about 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat with butter and salt.  You would have thought it was magic, the way that corn disappeared once served to the cousins.  It is basically the same as corn-on-the-cob, but a bit easier to eat!  Mistee's corn is now a standard with the Thanksgiving dinner. 


To remove corn kernels from the cob:  Hold the corn vertically resting on one end, standing upright in a deep bowl.  Slide a sharp knife down the length of the corn, just removing the kernels, and not cutting too deep into the cob.  The cut corn can be frozen in a zipper plastic bag for 3-4 months.  Or for several days in the refrigerator. 

Today I made Corn Cakes with Bacon-Honey Butter. The history on corn cakes is a rich part of America. Most commonly thought to have been taught to the early settlers from the Native American Indians. Early corn cakes were mostly made of ground corn and water, fried as a flat bread over an open fire. Although, recipes for corn cakes vary, from rustic with fresh corn added to a corn batter, to a refined cake similar to a pancake. Corn cakes are also versatile in that they can be served as a sweet breakfast item, or as a savory appetizer with sour cream and smoked salmon. 

Corn Cakes with Bacon-Honey Butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of white pepper
1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels cut form cobs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
1 large egg

Working in a medium bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt & pepper; whisk to combine.  Add the corn kernels, buttermilk, butter, and egg to a blender; process until pureed.  Add the pureed corn mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. 
 
Heat a non-stick griddle to 375 degrees or medium-high heat.  Ladle 1-2 ounces of batter onto the hot griddle, slightly spreading outward with the back of your ladle.  Cook until the tops have lost their shine, and are covered with bubbles, about 2-3 minutes.  Carefully turn the corn cakes over, cook for another 1 minute.  Remove from the griddle.

Bacon-Honey Butter
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons Hormel Bacon Bits

Place the softened butter in a small bowl, stir until smooth.  Add in the honey, stirring to combine.  Stir in the bacon bits. 




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