Corn Toasties

How is it that I can have a nostalgic craving for something I'm pretty sure I never actually ate? I remember seeing the bright orange box in the freezer case and wanting to try them. But I don't think my mom ever bought them and if I saw them on a menu I never ordered them. Despite all that, ever since I saw this post at the blog A Good Appetite my breakfasts have not been complete.

The recipe she found called for:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c + 2 T sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 c + 2 T cornmeal
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1 c milk

but I gave into the impulse to tinker and instead used:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c sugar
2 T dark honey
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 c + 2 T cornmeal
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
2 dashes cinnamon
1 dash allspice
1 dash paprika
3/4 c milk


Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium-sized bowl mix together the melted butter, honey & sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the baking powder, cornmeal, flour, spices & salt. Mix until everything is moistened. Stir in milk & mix until almost smooth (a few lumps are fine).

Lightly grease a 10" x 15" baking sheet with 1/2" sides. Pour the batter into the baking sheet, spreading into all the corners. Tap the baking sheet on the counter 1 or 2 times to even the batter out.

Bake for about 25 minutes. The edges should be brown & pulling away from the side of the pan & the top show be set. Allow to rest in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife cut into individual pieces I cut it into eight 2 1/2" x 3 3/4" rectangles.

Store the toasties wrapped in plastic wrap or in a resealable bag in the refrigerator for use over the next week. For longer storage keep them in the freezer.

To serve toast until browning & top with butter, syrup, honey or jam.

Makes 8 toasties


They turned out just as I hoped: corn muffins re-engineered. Dense and chewy with the structural integrity to hold up in a pop-up toaster and eat in the car. A mild sweetness that intesifies at the crispy brown edges out of the toaster.

I think the original recipe would give a bright straightforward corn flavor, but my changes deepen the flavor profile with some initial aromatics and a lingering richness that seems almost smokey although I didn't use that sort of paprika. It's nice, but it's meant to be a pallet for other flavors so simpler is probably better.

Still, I tried it in a few contexts to see how it worked out. First I tried it with poached shrimp and Chef Allen's hot mango cocktail sauce (which I picked up at the Mango Festival a few weeks back). I should have plated up the shirmp cocktail nicely and taken a picture but my impulsive decision to bake up a tray of corn toasties delayed my dinner for an hour and I was too hungry to screw around with that.

The next morning I toasted a toastie and had it topped with butter and a dollop of the other Chef Allen hot mango sauce I got at the Festival. (And I've finally found out why I bought both. The horseradish in the mango cocktail sauce limits its applications. The Mango Tears you can spread on toast if you like your jam hot and garlicky.)

And finally, I melted some pepper jack cheese on top of a toastie and had it with a bowl of chili (which I've got say has improved quite a bit by a month in in the freezer. Chili usually does I've found.)

The toasties performed admirably in all three cases: adding flavors and textures without overwhelming or clashing with the other elements and soaking up butter and sauce without falling apart. They look like they'll freeze really well too so I can see keeping them on hand as a kitchen staple. I'm glad I gave in to the craving and made a batch.