New England Brown-bread Griddle Cakes

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 1/2 cup stone-ground cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• vegetable oil (for panfrying)
• bacon drippings (optional) or sausage drippings (optional)
• unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar or 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• ground allspice (a pinch) or freshly grated nutmeg (a pinch)

Recipe

• 1 to make the syrup: (sterilize 2 half-pint canning jars unless you intend to use all the syrup immediately); combine the raisins and rum in a medium saucepan; let sit for 10-15 minutes; stir in ¾ cup water and the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil over high heat.
• 2 decrease the heat to a simmer; cook for about 5 minutes, until melded into a thin sauce; use syrup immediately or pour into jars, cover, cool, and refrigerate; the syrup keeps for weeks.
• 3 to make the griddle cakes: in a mixing bowl, stir the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together (it is recommended to use a bowl with a pouring spout).
• 4 scrape in the melted butter; stir until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients.
• 5 in another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; set aside.
• 6 in another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the milk until frothy.
• 7 pour egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients; mix until well combined; fold in the egg whites.
• 8 warm a griddle or large skillet over medium heat.
• 9 pour a thin film of oil onto the griddle (if desired, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon drippings to the oil for a heartier flavor).
• 10 pour or spoon out the batter onto the hot griddle, where it should sizzle and hiss ( a generous 3 tablespoons of batter will make a 4-inch pancake); make as many cakes as you can fit without crowding.
• 11 cook the pancakes until their top surface is covered with tiny bubbles but before all the bubbles pop (1-2 minutes).
• 12 flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden brown (1-2 minutes).
• 13 repeat with the remaining batter, adding to the griddle as needed a bit more oil and bacon drippings if desired.
• 14 serve immediately with butter and syrup.