For the best pancakes, use the freshest whole-grain cornmeal, or grind your own. Soaking the cornmeal overnight will soften the whole grains. You can also make the cinnamon-honey butter ahead of time. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Butter:
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Pancakes:
2 cups water
2 cups freshly ground cornmeal
1/2 to 1 cup whole milk
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
Tiny pinch stevia or pinch brown sugar
1/2 cup bacon grease, lard, melted butter or vegetable oil
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, honey and cinnamon on low speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate in a lidded bowl for an hour before use if you intend to make into pats.
The night before making pancakes, bring the water to a boil, then pour it over the cornmeal. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate it.
The next morning, preheat an oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or the “warm” setting. Stir the milk, salt and sweetener into the cornmeal mixture, adding more or less milk as needed to make a thick but pourable batter. Stir in half the grease. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, coat it with some of the remaining grease. Pour out individual pancakes, about one-quarter cup of batter each. Flip them when you see bubbles on top, after about 3 minutes. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer pancakes to the oven to stay warm. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve topped with cinnamon-honey butter.
Crazy about cinnamon? Check out Types of Cinnamon: Cassia and True Cinnamon.
Photo By Tim Nauman: Honey-Cinnamon butter tops a stack of cornmeal pancakes.
