Cornmeal Molasses Pancakes
I’m a stone cold maniac when it comes to making to-do lists. The only problem with my lists is that they’re usually filled with tasks that I’d much rather avoid.
This week I’m going to put together a different type of list for myself. Instead of a To-Do List, I’m going to try out a Want To-Do List.
Here’s what’s on my Want To-Do List so far:
-Sit in the sun with a book. Read the book. Take legs color from blindingly white to less blindingly white.
-Make a birthday cake. Lick the batter and frosting bowl clean.
-Drive to Sonoma to teach a baking class at Ramekins.
-Go for a hefty hike in Echo Park. Make sure your thighs know who’s boss.
-Make these pancakes for dinner. Include bacon. Invite cute boy with red hair.
All signs point to this being a great week. What’s on your Want To-Do List this week?
Let’s talk about these pancakes. They’re a sneak attack. Super simple. Unassuming. Then… delicious!
It’s the cornmeal combined with the molasses. Brilliant. The cornmeal gives the pancakes body, an irresistibly hearty flavor and just a hint of crunch. The molasses takes these puppies to the next level. Warm and rich, sweet and slightly bitter. Just lovely.
I paired these pancakes with a blackberryberry syrup. The bottled kind… like this little gem.
If you can’t get a hold of cornmeal. If you’re not all that fond of molasses… rest easy. You might like these Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes or these Vegan Jam Swirl Pancakes. Yea… I got you covered.
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Cornmeal Molasses Pancakes
adapted from recipezaar
makes 16-20 pancakes
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 generous Tablespoon dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
In a small bowl whisk together egg, buttermilk, molasses, vanilla extract and butter. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Add the cornmeal and stir until just mixed. The batter may be a bit lumpy. That’s ok.
Drop 2 Tablespoonsful of batter onto a hot, greased griddle or cast iron skillet.
Flip when browned and cook through. Place on an oven proof plate in a 200 degree F oven to keep pancakes warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
Serve with maple syrup, molasses or blackberry syrup. Happy Day!
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Joy, these look so good! They’re now on my want-to-do list along with ‘skiing in the south island’ and ‘get a real job’…
Well, it’s almoste Easter so I have lots to do: bake some muffins for my friends at yoga, and maybe a focaccia too, then I’m sure my father will complain that he has nothing to eat for breakfast, so I’ll have to bake something else, and then there’s Easter lunch with the whole family, and my goddaughter needs a special cake without butter, otherwise how can she have some dessert?
So That’s my to do list: bake, bake and bake.
Any ideas about the special cake?
Can I just say something, Ms. Joy? Drool-worthy pictures like the one up there – you know the one, all coy and tempting with its crispy-edged pancakes and check-me-OUT! puddles of syrupy goodness – are the reason I love checking my Blogger feed first thing in the morning while the kids are still asleep and the house is quiet. Because that’s the best time of day for me to plot when I’m going to make whatever recipe goodness you’ve posted that day. So thanks, Joy, for starting my day (and want-to-do list) off right!! :)
As for that want-to-do list, it will definitely include these pancakes. And maybe some bright red freshly polished toenails. But not at the same time, because that could get messy.
These sound so unique! I have never had anything quite like this. I love corn bread, so I am sure I would love cornmeal pancakes.
Oooh, yummy! I already did the first thing on your list and I’d love to do the last one. (Well, without the bacon. And some other invitation.) How do you always get your inspiration? Mine is gone somewhere missing…
I love the idea of using cornmeal! So smart. These look fabulous. Good luck with red-haired boy!
nice! ive got a whole bottle of molasses ive been trying to put to good use. i love the fun to-do list. ive been trying to become a list person & i think your want to-do list will be the perfect way to get me going!
On my want to do list–nothing. As in doing nothing, for a whole day. But that seems highly unlikely, so I’ll go with wanting to learn how to shoot in aperture priority on my camera. It’s gray and gloomy out, so why not study up?
And I want those pancakes with that syrup. No other will do!
my to-do list: lose more weight!!
and i love your pancakes! (:
I just got off of a 5 day juice fast! Instead of writing “to-do lists” I’m expanding my writing of “to-eat” lists. These very pancakes are now high on the list!
They look good! I have the same kind of molasses as you do even though I am in England and it was imported! Have been obsessing about molasses and spicy things. Don’t think we can get boysenberry syrup here. Will have to try maple or maybe just some fruity jam. Love pancakes with bacon.
Have you seen the recipes out there for gingerbread pancakes?
Homesick Texan has one on her website.
Aww those pancakes look so delicious! I want I want!
Heres my list for today:
WANT TO DO LIST:
Sit in the sunshine somewhere far away and go brown (my friend jst came back from Miami and I am very envious of her bronzed glow).
Consume a massive tin of Peppermint Bark – I found this in Texas before Christmas and had never come across it before. Definitely dont get it in the UK :(
Read the latest Vikram Seth book but I hear its not out til abt 2013…its ok, I can wait.
I hope the “cute boy with red hair” says yes to the invite. Have fun.
I tend to get around to the things I want to do without a list, but if I had to make one I would add practice violin to the list. I get cello practice in everyday, but I’m slacking when it comes to violin.
Awesome…as usual. :) I like making TaDa Lists! And always always always add a couple things at the top that you’ve already done. That way you can immediately cross off two things and say, “TADA!”
It justifies the glass of wine or margarita. ;)
Well, it’s my birthday next week so my weekend “want to do” list includes a massage & pedicure, going out for breakfast with a friend, watching the NCAA tournament (and my team trouncing the blue devils!!), cooking yummy Easter food and hopefully taking a few bags of junk to goodwill =)
Love the want to do list!! Its definitely better than a to do list!!
Yummy, those pancakes look so good!! I’ve never had cornmeal pancakes but they’re definitely on my want to do list!!
They look really yummy! But, they should be called Anadama Pancakes.
Anadama Bread is a very old New England thing. The store goes: Back in the 18th century, there was a man with a very lazy wife. He came home after a hard days work too many times with no food prepared for him. So one day he said ANNNA! DAMN HER! and added yeast and flour to some leftover cornmeal mush (cornmeal, water, molasses) and made his own darn dinner.
These pancakes look oh so yummy!
Sounds good!! Especially the cute boy part!! :)
The texture of these sound lovely and perfect for a dinner with bacon! I love the idea of a want-to-do list. This week I want the weather to cooperate so I can prepare a patch of ground for our vegetable garden!
another good lookin’ pancake recipe! love the molasses :)
your todo list sounds like perfection! i miss hiking in echo park. there’s not so much of that type of activity here in NYC, so I’ll just have to wait until I get back to California. As for the pancakes, I think those will jump to the top of my todo list!
Oh, I’ve been wanting a recipe that uses cornmeal! Can’t wait to try them!
Your Want-To-Do List idea has brightened my day considerably. Thank you.
These look great! Yum! I hope you get everything on your want to do list done. :)
I found you through 6 degrees of blogging and have featured you on my blog today. I love your blog!
joy i love this idea!
I would not have thought of the pairing of cornmeal and molasses, but now that I think about it – it sounds really delicious :)
Joy~ these really do look tasty!
My to-do list week includes: stocking the pantry, (that means a trip to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s), finishing the toe on my husband’s sock (and starting the second one!), nursing my sprained ankle back to pre-sprain shape, and catching up on my Easter devotions.
Hey Joy,
Do you plan on doing more classes at Ramekins in the future? I would love to come next week but I just got back from a week long trip and can’t take more time off so soon.
We had these for breakfast today and they were oh-so-good! I used whole wheat flour instead of white. We topped ours off with some strawberry freezer jam, which was very tasty with the crunch of the pancakes, and served the pancakes with bacon. I was popular this morning. Thank you!
I’m a fiend for lists too, but my ‘have to-do’ list is always longer than my ‘want to-do’ list. Sometimes, I’ll sneak an item from one to the other, and then I can justify taking a nap or coloring a picture.
On my want to do list this week:
-snuggle in bed later than I should
-dance for no less than 20 minutes to old soul records
-have a prickly pear margarita at happy hour today
Good luck with the boy, though be careful. Red-headed boys are almost always more charming than you expect them to be. :)
I second you on reading a book in the sun & baking a birthday cake. (the birthday cake would appear on both the want to and need to do lists) Now what kind of birthday cake to make…?
I love making lists too. Want-to-do lists are definately more fun than to-do lists! And those pancakes look awesome, I love cornmeal in baked goods.
I love new pancake recipes!
Joy – I just want you to know that your blog is AMAZING! And these pancakes are making me hungry… and not for the orange I brought for lunch! Thanks for the great posts!
Dude, a want to do list is waaaaayy better than a regular ol’ to-do list. But any list should always include pancakes and these look great.
Hi Joy,
Baking question for you:
My husband is a cheesecake and brownie lover. We have been on the hunt for a recipe that combines these two things. So far, every one we have had is too dry. I guess this is because the cheesecake part needs to bake more then the brownie, so the brownie ends up being over done.
Do you have, or know of, a super-duper awesome cheesecake brownie recipe you could share with all of us?
JOY!
Have I told you lately…
have I ever told you…
how totalllllly in love I am with YOU!
Oh how delighted I am to have found YOU and all of your wonderful recipes!
Delighted to see that they can be printed!
I need to spend some time over here printing my little heart out!
Oh how I am laughing at the thoughts of your WHITE legs needing some color!
I laugh because I told my hub this weekend that MY LEGS have NEVER been this WHITE!!
We just moved to the Northwest from the South where I was used to keeping color pretty much all year!
I’ve been so bundled up here on Bainbridge Island…and now that the layers are unraveling..I’m like Good Lordy…look at those WHITE legs!
I will for sure be getting some color on these pale things before I fly back South in May!
xxooxx
Enjoy all of the wonderful things on your HAPPY Want to List! Yeah!
And make sure those THIGHS know who’s BOSS on that hike! ;o)
xxooxx
Oh…and the pancakes…well…they are just like everything else over here…divine!
Joy,
We bought a new stove that has a regular oven and a convection oven. I’m never sure when to use the convection oven vs. the regular oven when baking. I know it’s better when preparing meat dishes, but not sure about baking. Any information would be appreciated.
Definitely another must try! They’re looking similar to little Rhody’s (RI) Johnny Cakes. Ridiculously yum.
I made your Herbs de Provence fries last night! I always do the same thing with sweet potatoes…minus the Herbs (just a salt mix)…but it never occurred to me to try good ol’ white potatoes! I had a salt and herb de Provence mix from our trip to Paris this past Fall, and it was wonderful! New go to side for dinner! thanks :)
Since molasses doesn’t sit well with my sweet hubby… I add just a touch of it for flavor… and the rest honey. The rest sounds good to me.
Enjoy your week… I do like the idea of a “want to do list” very good!
What a fun list!! I also want to read and go hiking somewhere this week!
I posted pancakes today too:) Loving yours! I will have to make them for a weekend brunch!
Mmm…crunchy, molasses goodness. The best days are the ones where you can knock off items on your to-do and want to-do lists :)
I have red hair and am available if you don’t already have that part covered ;-)
These are on my list for a pancake day in the near future. Amazing!
Two of my favorites…together…what’s not to love?!
Num!!! The boy with the red hair won’t know what hit him :)
I just want to ask these pancakes to marry me.
I love the idea of a “want to do list”, brilliant! And I love cornmeal in pancakes, but never thought to add molasses, sound pretty much perfect!
Mmmm pancakes, wow these look so so tasty!! Cravings!!