Buttermilk Cornmeal Pancakes..Yum!

I have been craving cornbread for weeks.   Normally, this wouldn't be a problem.   I have a delectable cornbread recipe that is easy enough to whip together and pop in the oven.  But *there* would be the problem...back in early spring, our oven died.  While we were deciding what to do about replacing it, the hot water heater also died.  Easy enough solve for the oven decision...hot water trumps being able to bake anytime, and we've managed just fine with the stovetop, microwave, crock pot, electric roaster, electric skillet, and a toaster oven provided by a friend.  (Typing that, I'm realizing how spoiled we are, oven or no oven!  Wow...such choices! :))  

I've actually done a bit of baking in the toaster oven and the electric roaster, and what I've tried so far has worked...but cornbread...at least my recipe...seemed a bit of a stretch.  So I bought some cornbread crackers (which are quite good!) at Sam's and decided I'd just have to deal.

Then last night I happened to see something about corn cakes on the Food Network while at a friend's house.    I don't even remember exactly what it was...but it caused a little bell to ring inside my head as I thought..."corn cakes!!  That would be almost like cornbread in the electric skillet!"  

So I came home and looked up a recipe for corn cakes, and we made them for lunch this afternoon.  Yummm!!  Even my non-cornbread-eaters inhaled them.  Really, really good.  And we have enough for leftovers for tomorrow's breakfast!  Yay!

Here's the recipe, from epicurious:  

Buttermilk Cornmeal Pancakes

6 large eggs

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (about) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 250°F. Beat eggs in large bowl to blend. Add buttermilk, cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until smooth. Mix in 6 tablespoons melted butter.

Add 1/2 tablespoon melted butter to large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet, spacing apart. Cook pancakes until golden brown on bottom and some bubbles begin to break around edges, about 2 minutes. Turn pancakes over; cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer pancakes to baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more melted butter by 1/2 tablespoonfuls to skillet as necessary. Serve pancakes with syrup.

(Needless to say, I didn't keep ours warm in the oven.   It worked fine, though...people were eating them as fast as I could cook them there for a bit. :))