This recipe for johnny cakes was a surprise hit in our house. I’ve had cornmeal pancakes for brunch at restaurants but I’ve never had the urge to make them at home. We make fluffy, buttermilk pancakes all the time. So, when I came across this recipe in the cookbook Every Day is Saturday by Sarah Copeland, it piqued my interest and I tried it out. I’m happy to report that the johnny cakes came out fluffy, light and tasting of (northern style) cornbread. The fresh strawberry maple topping I made was perfect for these pancakes too!
What are johnny cakes?
Johnny cakes are cornmeal flatbreads, fritters or pancakes that originated with the indigenous people of North America, who grew maize (corn). They were an easy and convenient way to make an unleavened bread. Consequently, they were only made with cornmeal, salt and water in the beginning. Leaveners and meal (flour) was added later with the onset of settlers who adapted the recipe. Usually made in a cast iron pan, they were also given the names journey cake, hoe cake and johnny bread. They became a staple food in the south and are credited as something that the indigenous, native Americans taught European settlers.
The video.
The perfect cornmeal for johnny cakes.
If you’ve never tried cornmeal pancakes before, these johnny cakes will sure to be a delight. If you love cornbread that’s light, fluffy and a little bit sweet, you should definitely try these. To make these work, you need to use a fine to medium grind cornmeal or polenta. My favorite American brand is definitely Bob’s Red Mill. There’s a gluten free cornmeal too if you want to make these johnny cakes with gluten free flour. Just note that the courser the grind, the more you will taste the cornmeal. Easy to source, you’re sure to be able to find some in any regular grocery store in the baking or grain aisle.
Thoughts on the Everyday is Saturday cookbook.
I received my copy of Everyday is Saturday by winning a contest on the Salt + Spine podcast! Imagine my surprise when I got the email that I had actually won something! I never win anything, so I was elated. I had no idea what this cookbook was about or anything about the author. When I received the book, my first impressions were:
- it’s a beautifully shot book with gorgeous photos
- the author, Sarah Copeland, clearly loves food and cooking and cooking for her family and friends
- it contains very do-able recipes with ingredients that weren’t super fussy but everything was elevated just a notch
- along with delicious savory recipes, there were quite a few impressive, yet easy baking projects and dessert
- lots of recipes have ways to make it gluten free, if you are gluten intolerant
It’s definitely a “foodie’s” cookbook but with recipes that, I think, are weeknight friendly. I really think a beginner cook could glean a lot of kitchen knowledge from making some recipes from this book. I look forward to cooking my way through some of Sarah’s recipes such as All-Season Chicken Soup with Tortillas and Avocado, Baked Fish with Cherry Tomatoes, Capers and Herbs, Green Goddess Salad Bowls, Almost Famous Cranberry Bundt Cake and Hungarian Baked Rice Pudding.
For everyday cooking, I really appreciate recipe pages like the “Infinitely Repeatable Smoothies”, which my 4 year old loves to have during the summer months. Sarah also included idea pages such as “So you whipped some cream. Now what?” with delicious suggestions on what to do with it. Or “Make yogurt work for you” which is four quick dip/sauce recipes with yogurt to add flavor to meals. If you want to shake up your everyday cooking, I highly recommend picking up this book!
Johnny Cakes with Strawberry Maple Topping
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Maple Syrup
- 2¼ cups (10 oz/300 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) maple syrup, plus more for serving
For the Pancakes
- 1 cup (140 g) fine to medium cornmeal
- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1⅓ cups (320 ml) buttermilk (or soured milk- see notes)
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for cooking
- plain greek or regular yogurt (or whipped cream) for serving (optional)
Method
- To a small saucepan, add the maple syrup. Heat over medium heat until gently simmering. Add the sliced strawberries and gently heat berries for 30-60 seconds, stirring occasionally. You do not want to cook them; just heat them a little. Remove from heat and set aside to allow the strawberries to release their juices into the maple syrup.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Gently stir with a spoon or rubber spatula just until all the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Heat a medium to large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a half teaspoon of butter to the pan. When sizzling, pour ⅓ cup (80 ml) batter onto the pan. Using a spoon, nudge the batter out from the middle to create a large pancake. Drop more batter onto pan, if there is room. Cook pancakes until the edges look dry, puffy and bubbles form on top. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more or until middles are done. (Do not overcook, as they can get a little dry when overcooked.) Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve warm with greek yogurt or whipped cream (if using) and the strawberry maple syrup topping. Serve extra maple syrup on the side, if desired.
Notes
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These look fabulous! Can’t wait to try them!
Thank you! If you do, I’d love to know what you think. 🙂
These look delish! I am going to have to make some this weekend!