Earthy, savory blue corn brings a vibrant hue to these silver dollar pancakes. Drizzled with sweet, tart, smoky blackberry-piloncillo syrup and dolloped with tangy whipped crema, these pancakes are fruity, not too sweet, and filled with flavor.
CREMA WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Mexican crema, sour cream, or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
BLUE CORN PANCAKES
1 1/2 cups fine-ground blue cornmeal (6 ounces) (such as McEwen & Sons)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons grated piloncillo or 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/8 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), melted, plus more for greasing griddle
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
Blackberry-Piloncillo Syrup
1 cup pine nuts (about 4 ounces), toasted
Beat heavy cream, Mexican crema, and vanilla extract with a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Chill until ready to serve.
Stir together blue cornmeal, 1 1/2 cups boiling water, and piloncillo in a medium bowl until no streaks of dry cornmeal remain. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand 15 minutes.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, and melted butter; whisk to combine. Whisk in cornmeal mixture until just combined.
Heat an electric griddle to 350°F or a large stainless steel skillet over medium-low; grease with butter. Using a 1 3/4-inch scoop, spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto griddle. Cook until tops are covered in bubbles and sides look set, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until set and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Set pancakes aside. Wipe griddle clean, and repeat with remaining batter. (Pancakes can be placed on a baking sheet and kept warm in a 200°F oven up to 30 minutes.)
To serve, divide pancakes among 6 plates. Top each serving with about 1/3 cup crema whipped cream. Drizzle each serving with about 3 tablespoons Blackberry-Piloncillo Syrup, and sprinkle with about 2 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts.
