It’s official – I’ve emerged from my winter cooking funk. Asparagus, rhubarb, and even a few strawberries made their debut at the Portland Farmer’s Market yesterday, and my mind was suddenly flooded with ideas for new recipes.

The strawberries got me thinking about breakfast, which tends to be a tad boring around here. Mr. Tummyrumblr really appreciates the occasional sweet breakfast, and so after months of fried eggs, fried eggs, and more fried eggs, I obliged.

If you’ve never had them together, strawberries and basil make for an amazing pairing. Simply sweeten the berries with a little maple syrup, and they make a delightful topping for these light and fluffy corn cakes. And if you love the combination as much as we do, tuck the idea away for midsummer and serve the berries and basil over cornmeal biscuits with fresh whipped cream. I personally cannot wait!

Corn & Cakes
*makes about 20 two inch pancakes*

3 eggs
2 1/2 C. buttermilk
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/3 C. corn flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill’s version)
6 Tbsp. coconut flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
butter for frying the cakes

Strawberry & Basil Topping

1 pint strawberries
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
10 medium basil leaves, stacked, rolled up into a cigar shape, and thinly sliced

It’s best to start with room-temperature eggs and buttermilk, so I leave my eggs and measured buttermilk out on the counter before I go to bed.

Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together with the melted butter, vanilla, and sugar until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the corn & coconut flours, the baking powder, and the salt to combine. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet and set aside while you prep the berries. The batter will look thin, but the coconut flour will thicken it as it sits.

Wash the berries and slice them into small pieces. Place in a bowl and toss with the maple syrup to coat. Wait until the last minute to slice and add the basil to prevent discoloration.

The pancake batter should be considerable thickened by now and ready to cook. Heat a wide saute pan or griddle over medium low heat. Once hot, add a pat of butter and allow it to melt and begin to brown ever so slightly.

Scoop the batter into small, 2 tablespoon-sized mounds in the hot butter (the cakes will be difficult to flip if they are too large due to the structure of the batter). Allow the cakes to brown slightly, approximately 2 minutes per side, and then carefully flip them to the other side to do the same. Keep the finished cakes warm in a 200 degree oven while you finish using the batter.

When the cakes are done, slice the basil and toss it gently with the sweetened strawberries. Serve the corn cakes topped with a few spoonfuls of the berries & basil. We agreed that no extra butter or syrup was required.