maple syrup johnnycakes with ice cream

Johnnycakes have been a long-standing tradition in New England, going all the way back to the Pilgrims. Traditionally made of cornmeal and water, the johnnycake can be dressed up in many ways. Our favorite version uses sugar and maple syrup to sweeten up the cake. It pairs very well with almost any flavor of ice cream, but we like them most when served warm with a fresh summer fruit ice cream like our Homemade Peach Ice Cream on here. Yum!

SERVES 6 TO 10, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE CORN CAKES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (we’ve used Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix)

cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated

¾ cup whole milk

¾ cup maple syrup

5 tablespoons (about stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for the griddle

Homemade Peach Ice Cream (recipe follows) or ice cream of your choice

STEPS

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, and maple syrup to blend well. Add the mixture, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated.

In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the two egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the batter.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat and brush with butter. Pour ¼ to ½ cup batter onto the griddle for each cake. If you want to make smaller cakes and stack 4 or 5 of them per serving, use less batter per cake.

Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface. Flip the johnnycakes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. As the cakes are done, remove from the griddle and place on a cookie sheet. Keep warm in a very low oven until ready to serve.

Depending on the size of the corn cakes, stack 2 to 5 on each plate and top with our Homemade Peach Ice Cream or flavor of your choice.