You will need a metal surface for cooking the corn pones. Whenever I have tried to cook them on a teflon nonstick pan, the cakes were rubbery and disappointing. I have successfully used cast iron and anodized griddles and stainless steel skillets. The pan will need to be pretty hot (375 degrees). Because of the high temperature, you do not want oil to stay on the pan. If your pan needs seasoning, wipe it with a paper towel after oiling to remove any standing oil. You can preheat the pan while making the batter.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Fill a measuring cup with water to the indicated amount, then pour 1/8 to 1/4 cup of it into the dry ingredients. Bring the rest of the water to a boil (I use a microwave oven.) You adjust the thickness of the batter in this recipe by the proportion of cold to hot water that you use. I use Hodgson Mill's brand yellow corn meal, and 1/4 c cold water works about right. You want the batter to form 1/4 inch thick cakes when you spoon it onto your griddle. If the batter is too thick you can add a little extra water, but you will change the texture of the final product. If the batter is too thin, you can heat it briefly in the microwave to thicken it.

While the water is heating, you should mix the cold water and oil into the dry ingredients to form a uniform mealy texture. When the remaining water has come to the boil, pour it all at once into the corn meal and stir to make a smooth batter. If using the nuts, mix them in now.

Spoon the batter onto a hot griddle to form cakes about 2 inches across. Cook until the cakes release from the pan, and the bottoms are browned. Turn and brown the other side. Remove the cakes to a wire rack to cool before serving.

These are very good topped with sour cream and apricot jam. They are also good for snacking throughout the day. If you refrigerate them overnight, they will probably need to be warmed in the microwave to refresh them.

8/7/2003, C. Fehrenbach