![Everyday Pancakes](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/02/22/dining/24COOKING-CLASSICPANCAKES-copy2/24COOKING-CLASSICPANCAKES-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Cornmeal-Cranberry Pancakes
![Cornmeal-Cranberry Pancakes](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/05/28/dining/Cornmeal-Cranberry-Pancakes/Cornmeal-Cranberry-Pancakes-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2gala apples
- 2Granny Smith apples
- ½cup packed light brown sugar
- ½teaspoon salt
- ¾teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
- 2cups apple cider
- 2teaspoons cornstarch
- 2teaspoons cream cheese
- 2tablespoons sugar
- ½cup heavy cream
- ½tablespoon butter
- Salt
- 10tablespoons butter, cut into chunks, plus more for greasing pan
- 2cups milk
- 4large eggs
- 2cups flour
- ½cup yellow cornmeal
- 2tablespoons sugar
- 2tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½teaspoons salt
- 1¼cups chopped fresh cranberries
- Maple syrup, optional
For the Compote
For the Caramel-butter Sauce
For the Pancakes
Preparation
Make the Compote
- Step 1
Peel, core, quarter and cut the apples into 1-inch pieces. Place the apples, sugar, salt, spice, cider and ⅓ cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the apples are soft and the juices thick, about 75 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons water. About 5 minutes before the compote is done, stir the cornstarch mixture into the apples. Keep warm.
Make the Caramel-butter Sauce
- Step 2
Place the cream cheese in a bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-high heat to a dark caramel, swirling the pan as it begins to brown to distribute the sugar. Do not stir. Off the heat, carefully whisk in the cream and butter. Return to low heat, add a pinch of salt and simmer until the solids dissolve. Stir 3 teaspoons of caramel sauce into the cream cheese. Mix until the cream cheese dissolves, then whisk this mixture back into the caramel sauce. Keep warm.
Make the Pancakes
- Step 3
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and milk until the butter melts. Set aside until lukewarm, about 15 minutes. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Slowly stir in ½ cup of the warm milk mixture (it cannot be hot, or it will cook the eggs). Pour in the remaining milk mixture and stir to combine.
- Step 4
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring slowly, just until the dry ingredients are well moistened. The batter should be lumpy and will start to bubble.
- Step 5
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat until a few drops of water sprinkled on it sizzle. Lightly grease the pan with butter, then add 3 to 4 tablespoons batter to make a 4-inch pancake. As soon as the batter sets, sprinkle the top with cranberries. Cook until bubbles break on the surface. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds, or until the bottom is lightly browned. Repeat, buttering the pan and adjusting the heat as needed. Serve topped with apple compote and lightly drizzled with caramel-butter sauce or maple syrup.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Delicious! I have previously made the wonderful buttermilk pancakes from Marion Cunningham (recommended by Jean Georges). But I might have found a new favorite here.
Omitted the caramel butter sauce and compote. This recipe's author actually notes on another site that she enjoys these pancakes on their own.
Also! With Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and Earth Balance Vegan Butter, these can be made vegan and gluten free while tasting just as good, if not better.
That’s an awful lot of baking powder, isn’t it?
Skipped the compote and substituted blueberries and whole wheat pastry flour. They were delicious; the whole grain wheat and cornmeal was a satisfying foil to the sweet blueberries and maple syrup.
Elevated our pancake game without adding a lot of time. I halved the sugar in the compote (used 1/4 c.) and next time would cut it entirely if serving with the caramel. No cream cheese but sour cream worked well in the caramel. For our family of two adults and one 6yo a half-recipe of the pancakes was enough (didn't halve the compote or caramel though, of course!).
I did the works and followed the recipe verbatim. The creme caramel was a bit tricky in the step where you add cold heavy cream to the hot sugar...had to simmer it for awhile more to get the true caramel texture. Otherwise, perfect recipe for a special ocassion or just to live it up a little! The balance of the sour cranberries and sweet compote is lovely.
Delicious! I have previously made the wonderful buttermilk pancakes from Marion Cunningham (recommended by Jean Georges). But I might have found a new favorite here.
Omitted the caramel butter sauce and compote. This recipe's author actually notes on another site that she enjoys these pancakes on their own.
Also! With Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and Earth Balance Vegan Butter, these can be made vegan and gluten free while tasting just as good, if not better.
P.S. That should be "dairy free and gluten free"—not vegan (thanks to the eggs). But the recipe holds up remarkably well to dairy and gluten ingredients substitutes.
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