Corncake Pancakes

Pancakes are one of those versatile foods that you can make or top any number of ways and they will always satisfy.  They can be wholesome or decadent, light or filling.  Have them for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dinner and I will be a happy camper, have them camping even!  While I was growing up, when Mom made pancakes it was always with a humongous bowl full of batter.  She would mix it up and grab a platter to flip them on and then get ready to stand at the stove for a while.  One of us kids or my Dad would be on butter duty.  Our job then was to stand at her side with a stick of butter, sliding it over each pancake as she flipped it off of one of the griddles.  Yes, one of them.  Having nearly a dozen people to wait in line for pancakes, my wise mother invested in a second griddle so that she could be flipping eight pancakes off at a time.  I don't have nearly as many people waiting for pancakes when I make them, but I still have two griddles myself since it means the job gets done in half the time and I can actually eat with my family.

We would eat them as they were ready.  As soon as a few more were cooked and buttered they were snatched away and covered in syrup or cinnamon sugar, or very occasionally, jelly.  This meant that we weren't actually all sitting down together to eat, instead we were all in various stages of our individual meals.  That didn't matter to any of us, except for perhaps Mom, who was usually waiting until the last of the batter was cooked before eating her own.

I believe Mom always used the exact same recipe for her pancakes.  I find it funny now that I realize this, but I don't actually have that recipe (mental note: get it).  My recipe obsession has led me to try recipes with all kinds of variations: change the grain (whole wheat, white, corn, oat, wheat germ), change the dairy (sour milk, fresh milk, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk), change the grease (corn oil, olive oil, melted butter), add something in (bananas, apples, chocolate chips, berries).  I like them all.  It is comforting to know that no matter how much you change the pancake recipe, either by design or circumstance pancakes are still good.  I think, however, that these might be my new favorite.  I love texture and flavor that the cornmeal adds.  These were awesome.  They will definitely be making an appearance Thanksgiving morning when we carry on Hey, Babe's family tradition of making teddy bear shaped pancakes and decorating them with M&Ms.  This means I'll be using the same recipe twice in one month, these must have been good.

Corncake Pancakes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
3/4 cup buttermilk (or yogurt)
1/3 cup butter melted (or oil)

Instructions
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl, mix eggs and sugar together, stirring for about 30-60 seconds.  Add the milk, buttermilk and melted butter; mix well.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with the mixer until smooth. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.

Spray a hot griddle with nonstick spray. Spoon 1/4 cup portions of the batter onto the hot griddle and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until brown. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup or apple butter, or jam, or cinnamon and sugar, etc.