Cherokee corn pones, johnny cakes, batter cake, ash cake, journey cakes, hoe cake, mush bread... so many names.
This corn pone is a traditional Native American dish, and would have been available in most of the Americas in precontact colonial times, as corn was very widely spread. The raspberries would be found in the northern regions, as well as the maple syrup. By trading they would also have access to the pecan which was widely found in the southern part of the US and further south.
These amazing corn pones smell a bit like popcorn when golden, taste a bit like corn too, as has a salty touch. When paired with the maple glazed pecans, berries and maple syrup it all comes together as a lovely sweet breakfast - that is gluten free too !
Makes about 25 small corn pones
Ingredients
Corn pones
- 5 dl yellow corn flour (2 cups)
- 7.1 dl water (2.5 cups)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Vegan butter / margarine as needed
Maple toasted pecans
- 50g pecan nuts (1.8 oz)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Other toppings
- 125g fresh raspberries
- Maple syrup as desired
What you will need
- 1 big bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- 1 pan
- 1 spatula
- 1 ovenproof dish
Instructions
- In a bowl put in the corn flour, baking powder, salt and water. Whisk well.
- Heat a pan and grease with vegan butter or margarine.
- Take about 2 tablespoons of the batter to create one corn pone, swirl the batter with the spoon to spread it evenly out on the pan to create a little pancake. Bake them on medium heat. In a 27 cm pan you can make 4 smaller pone cones at the time.
- Wait to flip the corn pone until the batter has started to lift its sides, is baked on top, showing small holes. It should be golden when you flip it. Bake on the other side until golden as well. Grease pan in between every few batches to prevent them from sticking.
- (optional) Transfer to an ovenproof dish and put into the oven at 100c (210 F) on normal setting. This will keep the corn pones warm until the rest is finished. Finish baking all the corn pones.
- In the same pan put in the pecans. Toast lightly for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Turn the heat off and let caramelize. Take all of them off the pan when finished, or else they will stick to the pan.
- Eat the corn pones with maple syrup, top with the pecans and fresh raspberries.
Enjoy !
