Somewhere I read about hoe cakes and thought they were a good (and naturally gluten free) alternative to pancakes. They can been either savory or sweet and I had two of them as a bun replacement with a buffalo burger. Before making these, I’d only had Johnny Cakes (slices of corn meal mush fried in bacon grease or butter) and grilled polenta. Corn meal is the usual ingredient in Hoe Cakes but I used Masa Harina (corn flour) for a smoother pancake. I cooked them in my English Muffin tins to make perfectly round pancakes of a uniform size but it’s certainly not necessary. A teaspoon of agave nectar or maple syrup can be added to the batter to make them sweet or add garlic, pepper and herbs for a savory dish. I kept mine neutral so I could freeze them for later.
1 cup Masa Harina (or corn meal)
1 egg
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen & thawed, fresh, or canned)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Spoon even amounts out on a preheated griddle. Cook on each side for 3 minutes or until brown, flip over and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes. Can be served as either a sweet dish with jams or syrup or as a savory dish.
