Sweet Hoecakes with Summer Berries
If you’ve never experienced a hoecake before, you’re missing out on one of life’s finer pleasures. A cross between cornbread and a pancake, these time-tested beauties are so versatile and SO darn good. Usually hoecakes are eaten with savory dishes, but they are just as amazing with sweet accompaniments. So when I was contacted about trying Fleischmann’s new Simply Homemade® Cornbread Mix, I knew the perfect way to put it to the test!
I LOVED this mix. I’ve tried several cornbread mixes in my day, but this is the first one I’ve tried that stacks up to homemade. I kid you not. It has the texture and flavor (and hint of sweetness, just the way I like it) of cornbread made from scratch but takes about 30 seconds to mix together. And forget relegating cornbread as a side dish, this dish is a centerpiece!
You could serve these hoecakes a couple different ways. They would be awesome for brunch with some sorghum or raw honey drizzled on top. But dusted with a little powdered sugar they make a crowd-pleasing dessert for a summer barbecue!
Brace yourself for the easiest (and probably fastest) recipe I have ever posted.
- 1 package Simply Homemade Cornbread Mix, batter made according to package directions
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 1 c. mixed summer berries (I used strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
- 1/4 c. powdered sugar
- Stir the vanilla extract into the cornbread batter. Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add enough oil or butter (I used a vegan butter spread) to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Pour 1/3 c. batter at a time into circles in the hot pan. Cook until the edges of the hoecakes appear cooked through and the bottom side is golden brown (about 3 minutes), then flip and cook until it browns on the opposite side.
- Remove from heat, top with fresh berries, and dust with powdered sugar as desired.
That pretty yellow color you see in the hoecakes comes from real corn! I would highly recommend this mix for when you want the deliciousness of fresh cornbread (or fresh hoecakes 🙂 )without any extra fuss. I look forward to trying it as bread alongside a bowl of chili when fall rolls around. But for now, while the summer berries are at their peak, this is perfection.
-Lauren
*****
I wrote this post for Simply Homemade as a part of their Cornbread Grilling Challenge. I was given the product free to try and was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.