Making Lemon-Raspberry Corncakes

I’ve never been much of a pancake person. I think it stemmed from an incident that happened more than a decade ago, when I was home-sitting and found a jug of maple syrup for the first time. I had been very excited because I’ve never had it before, until I saw the expiry date. The whole jug of unopened maple syrup was to expire that exact same day. So I racked my brain as to what to do to finish it, when I found a box of instant pancake mix in the pantry. I quickly followed the instructions on the box and it yielded 20 or so pancakes.

I then took one, drowned it in syrup and topped it with a pat of butter, salivating at the sight. First pancake gone and I was still going strong, but by the fourth one I was beginning to feel lightheaded and nauseous. And that was when the doorbell rang; it was a friend of my brother’s (and his sister). And I found my new victims. I practically threatened them by saying I won’t let them near the game consoles until they finish 3 pancakes. Each.

Let’s just say I’ve never looked at pancakes the same again. But don’t let the story above discourage you from these. It was inspired by the segment on “3 Sisters Cafe” on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The cornmeal makes the outside super crispy while the inside soft and fluffy. I could definitely polish one or two of these away without much trouble.

RASPBERRY CORNCAKES:

[ 1 cup cornmeal + 1/3 cup all-purpose flour + 2-3 tablespoon sugar (I used dark brown sugar) + zest of 1 lemon (save juice for lemon curd recipe) + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt + 3/4 cup buttermilk + 1 tablespoon melted butter + 1 cup fresh raspberries ]

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Add buttermilk, zest and melted butter; mix well until batter is thickened.

You can gently stir in raspberries here, or you could drop as many as desired onto griddle after you ladle the batter.

Heat a griddle or large skillet lightly coated with butter over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle and cook about 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Carefully flip cakes with a spatula and cook other side for an additional 3 minutes or until done.

If you want to serve these corncakes with some lemon curd, here’s a recipe for it:

LEMON CURD:

[ 1/2 cup lemon juice + 2 teaspoons lemon zest + 1/2 cup sugar + 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk + 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces ]

Place the zest, juice, sugar, salt, and eggs in a metal bowl. Whisk away. Add in the butter, clamp on an instant-read thermometer, and set the bowl over a tiny pot of simmering water.

Don’t ever stop whisking gently or you’ll end up with a layer of scrambled eggs on the edge of your bowl.

Keep cooking and stirring until it’s thick, and the thermometer reads 160°F, 5-10 minutes.

Place a fine-mesh sieve over another metal bowl and press the curd through it with a rubber spatula.

Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap, cool completely, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve corncakes with lemon curd and extra raspberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

RASPBERRY CORNCAKES:

[ 1 cup cornmeal + 1/3 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoon sugar + zest of 1 lemon (save juice for lemon curd recipe) + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt + 3/4 cup buttermilk + 1 tablespoon melted butter + 1 cup fresh raspberries ]

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Add buttermilk, zest and melted butter; mix well until batter is thickened. You can gently stir in raspberries here, or you could drop as many as desired onto griddle after you ladle the batter.

Heat a griddle or large skillet lightly coated with butter over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle and cook about 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Carefully flip cakes with a spatula and cook other side for an additional 3 minutes or until done. Serve with lemon curd and extra raspberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

LEMON CURD:

[ 1/2 cup lemon juice + 2 teaspoons lemon zest + 1/2 cup sugar + 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk + 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces ]

Place the zest, juice, sugar, salt, and eggs in a metal bowl. Whisk away. Add in the butter, clamp on an instant-read thermometer, and set the bowl over a tiny pot of simmering water. *Don’t ever stop whisking gently or you’ll end up with a layer of scrambled eggs on the edge of your bowl.

Keep cooking and stirring until it’s thick, and the thermometer reads 160°F, 5-10 minutes.

Place a fine-mesh sieve over another metal bowl and press the curd through it with a rubber spatula.

Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap, cool completely, and refrigerate until ready to use.