Blueberry Jonnycake-in-the-Oven

Blueberry Jonnycake-in-the-Oven is a recipe I found in America's Bread Book, a book I referenced before when I tried out the recipe for Indiana Basic White Bread.

Jonnycakes, for those of you who may not know, are basically pancakes made from stone-ground flint cornmeal. Jonnycakes - originally called "Journey Cakes" were little corn cakes that travelled well back in the days before ice packs and ziploc bags. The name changed over time and became Jonnycakes.

I usually buy the stone-ground Jonnycake meal (cornmeal) put out by Kenyon's Grist Mill in RI.

Anyway, here's what you'll need:

1 cup Rhode Island cornmeal

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

(and, since we're doing the blueberry version, a cup of blueberries, lightly floured)

Here are the eggs I forgot in the picture above.

Wouldn't want them to feel left out.

Okay, now here's the rest of this simple recipe:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, blending well.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs and add the milk and butter.

Pour the milk mixture all at once into the cornmeal mixture, stirring briskly to make a smooth batter.

Pour into the baking pan and bake about 25 minutes.

(And if you're adding the blueberries, add them to the bowl once you've combined the dry and wet mixtures. Don't be like me and forget to do it until you've poured the batter in the pan. I poured it in, and was taking a picture of it and thought, boy, this looks pretty blah. Oh - duh. The blueberries aren't in it.)

Let it cool in the pan for fifteen minutes or so, then invert onto a rack and invert again onto another rack so it's right side up.

Serve it warm or let it cool to room temperature.

Swat hands away if necessary until you've taken your picture.

And then relent and hand over a piece.

Because this face is hard to say no to.

They're especially good warm with some butter on them.

Mmmm. Blueberries.

This is a really nice, moist cornbread - it disappeared pretty quickly, between the squares I brought to my parents' house, to Joe and Em's house, and the ones we gobbled up. I don't think it lasted the day.

It sort of reminded me of the Blueberry Boy-Bait, but with that chewier, grittier texture cornbread has.

I'm sitting here trying to decide which one I like better, and I can't.

Maybe I need to make them both again.

That sounds like an excellent idea....