Corny Cakes in the Cooky Book

On the first chilly fall Sunday of this season, I made chili. I make the same chili every fall and winter. It's my own personal mixture of meat, beans, tomatoes, some veggies and spice. That's not what's on the menu for this blog entry though. What is? The accompaniment to the chili-Corn Cakes. I found this recipe in my stand by Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I've had this cookbook for as long as I can remember, in fact I think this maybe the first cookbook I ever bought. There's a whole chapter on fruits and vegetables and I wanted to use the frozen corn I had chilling(it's a pun). This recipe is the perfect substitute for cornbread, bite size and delicious.

Here's what you'll need:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I substituted whole wheat)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 slightly beaten egg

Approximately 1 tablespoon green onions, separated bottoms from green tops
3 tablespoons canola oil
sour cream

How this is going together:

1. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside

2. In a medium bowl stir bowling water into cornmeal to make a stiff mush. Stir in milk until smooth. Stir in corn, egg, and 1 tablespoon green onion tops. Add dry flour mixture to cornmeal mixture and stir until just combines.

3. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil on medium heat. Drop the batter by rounded spoonfuls into the hot oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Transfer corn cakes to serving platter and cover. Continue with the remaining batter.

4. Meanwhile, if desired, stir in 1 teaspoon of green onions into sour cream and serve with the corn cakes.

A few notes: Definitely serve these warm, there's no exception. I also enjoyed putting my corn cake in the bottom of my chili bowl and finding it as a welcome surprise while eating. The next time I make these I'm going to substitute out the frozen corn for a can of cream corn to give them a sweeter, denser flavor. Oh and I definitely don't keep yellow cornmeal in my cabinet but it's super cheap!

Hope you enjoy them on a cool fall day...maybe watching some football!