Blue Corn Pinon Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely ground blue cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
• 3/4 cup pinon nuts, lightly toasted
• Warm honey or apricot preserves, for serving

Before you cook

• Toast the pinon nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for three to four minutes, shaking often, then tip them onto a plate to cool.
• Whisk the blue cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.
• Beat the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter together in a second bowl.
• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined and let the batter stand for 10 minutes to soften the cornmeal.

Steps

1. Heat a griddle over medium heat and grease it lightly with butter.
2. Scatter a scant tablespoon of pinon nuts onto the griddle in a loose circle for each pancake.
3. Pour 1/3 cup of batter directly over the nuts so they set into the bottom.
4. Cook until the edges look dry and the surface is dotted with bubbles, about two minutes.
5. Flip the pancakes so the nutty side faces up.
6. Cook for 90 seconds more, until the second side is browned.
7. Serve the pancakes nut side up with warm honey or apricot preserves spooned over.