Fresh Corn Cakes with Honey

These are delicious!  They're even good the next day reheated (or not!) if any are left over.  They make a great breakfast, but are also savory enough that they work well as an alternative to corn muffins, too.  If you have some ears of sweet corn that have been sitting in the fridge for a few extra days, then give these corn cakes a try. They're fairly easy and have some big corn flavor.  There isn't any honey in the batter (though you could add a tablespoon if you'd like).  And truth be told, you could eat them with maple syrup, or slathered with peanut butter--or just on their own.  Drizzled with honey, though--well, they're divine!  The recipe is adapted from Gene Opton's (2000) Honey:  A Connoisseur's Guide With Recipes (click on the link for my review). 

Fresh Corn Cakes with Honey

4 or 5 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (if using buttermilk; skip if using whole milk)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

Cut the kernels from four corn cobs, place in a food processor and pulse four or five times until they're coarsely chopped with a bit of liquid.  Measure out 1 1/2 cups (adding another ear of coarsely ground kernels if needed).  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, add the buttermilk (or milk) and butter and combine well.  In another bowl, whisk the flours, baking soda (if using buttermilk), salt and pepper.  Add to the egg/milk batter and stir just until combined.

Coat a skillet or griddle lightly with oil and heat over medium-high flame.  Measure about 1/4 cup of batter into heated pan, forming about 4 inch cakes.  Fry until golden, about 2-3 minutes.  Flip and fry on the other side until golden.  Serve with a drizzle of honey and--if you want to get fancy--creme fraiche and cilantro. Makes about 12 four-inch cakes.