sweet corn pancakes

Make batter: In a large bowl, combine melted butter, chopped corn, salt, and egg. Whisk in 3/4 of the buttermilk, plus all of the vanilla and sugar. Sprinkle the surface of batter with baking powder and baking soda, then whisk thoroughly to combine, then a few more times to guarantee they’re well-distributed in the batter. Add flour and cornmeal and stir only until they disappear. Check the batter consistency; if it seems too thick, add remaining buttermilk, a couple tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency.Cook the pancakes: Heat your skillet or saute pan to medium. Brush the pan with butter and ladle with 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter at a time, 2 inches apart. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, flip them over and cook them until golden brown underneath. If they seem to be cooking too quickly (dark on the outside, raw centers) turn your heat down to low for the next batch and inch it up as needed. Repeat with remaining batter. To serve: Top with a pat of pat of salted butter and a healthy dose of maple syrup. We sometimes finish these with a pinch or two of flaky salt, too.Notes:;:2023 updates: These days, I don’t bother with what used to be the first step of this recipe: sautéing the corn before adding it to the batter. Instead, I give it a rough chop on the cutting board and add it raw. In the finished pancakes, the corn is sweet and crunchy, but doesn’t taste uncooked. If you prefer the way the recipe was originally written, however, here’s the old instruction: Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Add corn and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to brown ever-so-slightly. Sprinkle with salt and set aside to cool. Wipe out skillet.The second change I’ve made over the years is that I find I need less buttermilk to get the right pancake consistency, about 3/4 cup instead of 1 1/4 cups, so the amount is now listed as a range.About the sweetness: in my family, we drench our pancakes in maple syrup so I prefer the pancakes themselves to have little or no sugar, for contrast. If you’re one of those noble beings that like your pancakes plain, you might like an additional tablespoon of sugar in them. As I mentioned above, I think these have great savory potential by skipping the sugar and increasing the salt, served with sour cream or salsa.New to homemade pancakes? I have a slew of tips over here.