Remember my Pumpkin Pancakes with Bacon Bourbon Butter? Well if you do, you’ll understand why I had to find an excuse to throw bacon on top of some pancakes again.
I’m in the process of revamping and/or re-shooting old recipes. Cornmeal pancakes were on the list. I decided to jazz up this dish a bit and run with an Italian theme.
First off, the ground cornmeal I used in this recipe is the same one I use to make polenta. I mixture of cornmeal and all-purpose flour gives these pancakes just the right texture and flavor.
Crispy, Italian bacon continues this theme, and the fig-maple syrup puts it over the top! Figs and pancetta are certainly a well-accepted Italian combo. The salty-fruity combination really hits the spot. A splash of bourbon in the syrup makes it even better. You can my word for it.
The butter might seem a bit unnecessary with the bacon going on, but not in my book. When the sweet, creamy butter melts into the pancakes and mixes with that fig-maple syrup, it’s just heavenly.
Cornmeal Pancakes with Pancetta & Fig-Maple Syrup
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 pancakes 1x
Description
Bacon, pancakes and maple syrup have long been the basic components of a great American breakfast. I put a little Italian spin on this traditional meal: Cornmeal Pancakes with Pancetta and Fig Maple Syrup. It’s so good, it might become your new tradition.
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- ¾ cup stone ground yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted plus additional for greasing pan and serving
- 4 oz pancetta, cut into ½ inch cubes
Fig Maple Syrup:
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp fig preserves*
- 1 tsp bourbon (optional)
- Small pinch of salt
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients (cornmeal through salt) in a large bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients: Beat together egg and milk in a small bowl.
- Mix wet & dry: Whisk milk mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in melted butter. Do not over-mix. Let batter rest for 15-30 minutes at room temperature.
- Cook pancetta: While batter rests, add pancetta to a large, cold sauté pan. Turn heat to medium and slowly crisp bacon and render fat, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat slightly to prevent burning the pancetta, if needed. Remove pancetta from the pan and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Stir in 1 tablespoon a rendered pork fat into the pancake batter.
- Make fig maple syrup: Whisk together maple syrup, preserves, bourbon and salt in a small bowl. Heat mixture in the microwave for about 20 seconds or until warm. Cover to keep warm.
- Heat pan: Warm a griddle or large nonstick pan over medium heat for the pancakes. Lightly grease with butter. Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop the batter into the preheated pan. Flip when bubbles form around the entire surface and pancake becomes lightly browned, about 1-1 ½ minutes. Cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute on the reverse side, or until lightly browned and pancake is cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve: Top pancakes with pancetta, and serve with fig maple syrup and room-temperature butter, if desired. Enjoy.
Notes
Fig preserves can be found in Italian specialty stores, online or at some supermarkets.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: New American, Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 364
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 470mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 57g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 11g
Keywords: cornmeal, pancakes, bacon, figs
The idea of combining figs with maple syrup and then putting it on top of pancakes… amazing!! xx
Thanks so much!!
I could totally go this gorgeous pancake stack right now. Yum!
Thanks, Anna 🙂
This looks delicious …
Thank you, Angela!
This sounds really good. To be honest, I’m always on the fence about putting bacon on things. I sometimes feel that it is such a dominating flavor, sometimes it steals the show and takes away from the flavor of other things, instead of meshing together with the other flavors in the dish.
I like that in this recipe there are just sprinkles of it… looks good! Lovely photography, too 🙂
I agree that bacon can be overpowering at times, but the small pieces over the pancakes does work well. Thanks so much, Amber!
What a great recipe! Yum!!!
Thank you!
Oh My!…I am hungry for some nice pancakes 🙂
Thanks, Nandini 🙂