How was your Thanksgiving holiday? It was wonderful. This week, we’re in Kansas visiting family and friends, enjoying the food, and planning our solo Christmas. Imagine PJs and French toast in bed with mimosas. Mmm, dreamy.

Let’s enjoy this delicious seasonal treat. Cornmeal pancakes served with cranberry-orange compote. Let’s get cooking.

The compote is made while the pancake batter rests. This makes it a 30-minute recipe.

To make these gluten-free, I used a mix of gluten-free oats and cornmeal. Melted vegan butter gives these cookies a buttery taste and adds a decadence. It’s impossible to go wrong.

Compote is incredibly simple. The compote is made by bubbling cranberries with orange juice, maple syrup, and maple sugar.

Think of a tart-sweet taste and a saucy, jammy texture. The compote can be omitted, but I recommend it.

Ingredients

PANCAKES

• Fine yellow cornmeal, 1/3 cup
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or oats if you are not gluten-free)
• Use stevia, maple syrup, or other sweeteners to your taste.
• Baking powder, 1 tbsp
• Sea salt, one pinch
• Unsweetened almond milk, one scant cup
• Use avocado oil or vegan butter instead of 2 tablespoons.

COMPOTE Optional

• 8 ounces of fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice (or 1/2 cup water + 1/4 Tbsp of orange zest)
• 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup (plus additional for serving).

Instructions

• Add the cornmeal, oats flour, sugar cane, baking powder, and sea salt into a large or medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Add melted butter or oil to the almond milk and whisk together.
• You can add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in small amounts and stir gently until they are combined. You don’t need to use all the liquid. The goal is a semi-thick mixture (see photo). Try not to overmix. Let set for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the compote. Add the cranberries to a small or medium saucepan, add orange juice and maple sugar, and heat over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes while stirring constantly or until the cranberries have softened.
• Blend in a processor until smooth. Pour in a bit of water or orange juice to make a sauce that can be spread. Add more maple syrup, stevia, or orange juice to taste. Keep warm in the skillet/saucepan over low heat.
• Preheat your cast iron. Preheat the skillet on medium/medium-low heat. It should be warm but not boiling. When adding oil to the pan, it should not smoke.
• After the oil is hot, use a paper towel to remove any excess. You don’t want any oil/butter pools. Scoop out a quarter cup of the mixture onto the pan or griddle. About 3-4 minutes. Cook until bubbles start to appear and the sides begin to dry. Cook the other side for a further 2-4 minutes.
• You should be able to make six pancakes (amount according to the original recipe // adjust if you change batch size).
• Add a dollop of maple syrup and a drizzle cranberry orange compote. Keep leftovers fresh in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight bag or container. Fresh is best.