Corn Dodgers from Drums of Autumn

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet.

Stir together the cornmeal, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the boiling water over this mixture, stir well and allow the mixture to rest on the counter for 15 minutes. Stir well, then whisk in the butter, cream and cilantro/parsley. Then stir in the egg and baking powder.

Fill a cereal bowl with tap water. Wet your hands in the water, scoop out approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture into your fingertips and form into a small loaf about 4” x 1½”. Lay it on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining mixture, wetting your fingers in between and spacing the dodgers about 2” apart on the tray. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

Bake until deep brown on the bottom and golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through, about 15-20 minutes total.

Cool slightly on a rack before serving warm (with butter).

Notes:

– I included cilantro or parsley in the recipe to give the dodgers a little colour and extra flavour. Other tasty additions include small amounts of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, fresh basil, reconstituted dried mushrooms, crisp bacon, etc.

– My dodgers are a bit fat, because I was trying to be fancy and stuff some of them with bacon and blue cheese, which didn’t work all that well—he batter is too wet. Claire’s dodgers would have been slightly skinnier, I think.