JANUARY 2020 81
clean, and repeat with remaining batter.
(Pancakes can be placed on a baking
sheet and kept warm in a 200°F oven up
to 30 minutes.)- To serve, divide pancakes among 6
plates. Top each serving with about^1 / 3 cup
crema whipped cream. Drizzle each serv-
ing with about 3 tablespoons Blackberry-
Piloncillo Syrup, and sprinkle with about
21 / 2 tablespoons pine nuts. —ARTHUR
GONZALEZ, PANXA COCINA, LONG BEACH,
CALIFORNIA
Blackberry-Piloncillo Syrup
ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 35 MIN
MAKES 1^1 / 3 CUPSInfused with warm spices and the sweet-
bitter notes of Mexican cane sugar, this
sweet and tart syrup is a vibrant way to
upgrade any plate of pancakes.12 oz. piloncillo, broken into large
pieces, or 1 cup packed dark brown
sugar
11 / 2 lb. fresh or frozen blackberries
(about 6 cups)(^1) / (^3) cup water
11 / 2 black cardamom pods, smashed
3 whole cloves
(^1) / (^4) tsp. kosher salt
Stir together piloncillo, blackberries, and
(^1) / 3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring
to a boil over medium-high. Boil, stirring
occasionally and mashing blackberries
with the back of a spoon, until piloncillo is
dissolved and mixture has thickened
slightly, about 15 minutes. Add cardamom
pods, cloves, and salt; reduce heat to
medium, and simmer 1 minute. Remove
from heat, and let steep 15 minutes. Pour
mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer
into a bowl; discard solids.
MAKE AHEAD Syrup can be made up to 5
days ahead.
NOTE Piloncillo is raw cane sugar that can
be purchased online or at a Mexican
market. Use a box grater to grate the hard
cone-shaped sugar, or place it in a plastic
bag and smash with a meat mallet.
Polenta Dutch Baby with
Ham and Swiss
PHOTO P. 79
ACTIVE 25 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR 55 MIN
SERVES 4 TO 6
With an airy interior and rich, savory top-
pings, this Dutch baby is perfect for
brunch. Add the toppings around the
edges, leaving the center clear to allow it
to rise properly. Preheating the pan (we
love cast iron for its heat retention) is also
crucial to a successful rise; the batter
should begin to puff immediately after it
hits the pan. It’s finished when the
browned edges start to curl inward.
(^1) / 2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 (^1) / 8 oz.)
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. uncooked polenta (such as
Bob’s Red Mill)
(^7) / 8 tsp. kosher salt, divided
(^1) / 2 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 3
pieces
1 oz. thinly sliced deli ham, patted
dry and cut into 2- x^1 / 2 -inch strips
1 oz. Swiss cheese, grated (about^1 / 4
cup)
1 tsp. country Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Champagne vinegar
(^1) / (^4) tsp. pure maple syrup or honey
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 oz. baby arugula (about 1 cup)
1 oz. red grapes, quartered (about^1 / 4
cup)
- Whisk together flour, sugar, polenta,
and^3 / 4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
Whisk together milk and eggs in a small
bowl. Add milk mixture to flour mixture,
and whisk until smooth. Cover and chill at
least 2 hours or up to overnight (about 8
h o u r s). - Preheat oven to 425°F with oven rack in
lower third of oven. Remove batter from
the refrigerator; whisk until well com-
bined, and allow to stand at room temper-
ature while oven preheats. Place a 10-inch
cast-iron skillet in preheated oven, and let
heat 15 minutes. Add butter pieces to skil-
let, and return to oven for 1 minute. Care-
fully remove skillet from oven, and swirl, if
needed, until butter is completely melted
and beginning to brown. - Whisk batter again until well combined.
Working quickly, pour batter into skillet.
Sprinkle ham and cheese around edges of
batter, leaving about a 4-inch-wide circle
in center. Immediately return skillet to
oven, and bake until golden brown,
puffed, and center is cooked through, 16
to 20 minutes. - While batter bakes, whisk together
Dijon, vinegar, maple syrup, and remain-
ing^1 / 8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Grad-
ually add oil, whisking until dressing is
emulsified. Toss arugula with 2 teaspoons
of the dressing. - Carefully transfer hot Dutch baby to a
serving plate. Serve immediately with
dressed arugula and grapes, and drizzle
with remaining dressing. —JONATHAN
BROOKS, MILKTOOTH, INDIANAPOLIS
Blue Corn Piñon Pancakes
PHOTO P. 74
ACTIVE 40 MIN; TOTAL 55 MIN
SERVES 6Earthy blue cornmeal brings a vibrant hue
to these silver dollar pancakes; buy it as
fresh as you can get it (we prefer McEwen
& Sons) for the best flavor.CREMA WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy cream(^1) / (^4) cup Mexican crema, sour cream, or
plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
(^1) / 2 tsp. Mexican vanilla extract
BLUE CORN PANCAKES
11 / 2 cups fine-ground blue cornmeal
(6 oz.) (such as McEwen & Sons)
11 / 2 cups boiling water
2 Tbsp. grated piloncillo or 2 Tbsp.
dark brown sugar
11 / 2 cups all-purpose flour
(about 6^3 /^8 oz.)
2 tsp. baking powder
11 / 2 tsp. kosher salt
(^3) / 4 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs, beaten
(^3) / 4 cup whole milk
(^1) / 2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz.), melted,
plus more for greasing griddle
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
Blackberry-Piloncillo Syrup (recipe
follows)
1 cup pine nuts (about 4 oz.), toasted
- Make the crema whipped cream: Beat
heavy cream, Mexican crema, and vanilla
extract with a heavy-duty stand mixer fit-
ted with a whisk attachment on medium
speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 min-
utes. Chill until ready to serve. - Make the blue corn pancakes: Stir
together blue cornmeal, 1^1 / 2 cups boiling
water, and piloncillo in a medium bowl
until no streaks of dry cornmeal remain.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let
stand 15 minutes. - Sift together flour, baking powder, salt,
and baking soda in a large bowl. Add eggs,
milk, and melted butter; whisk to com-
bine. Whisk in cornmeal mixture until just
combined. - Heat an electric griddle to 350°F or a
large stainless steel skillet over medium-
low; grease with butter. Using a 1^3 / 4 -inch
scoop, spoon about 2 tablespoons of bat-
ter per pancake onto griddle. Cook until
tops are covered in bubbles and sides
look set, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook
until set and cooked through, 2 to 3 min-
utes. Set pancakes aside. Wipe griddle
(OPPOSITE) PHOTOGRAPHY: VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING: MARGARET MONROE DICKEY; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY