An old-fashioned cast-iron skillet with shallow round indentations is ideal for making uniform corn cakes. Since these pans can be rather hard to find, you can use a regular cast-iron skillet and achieve equally lovely results. Pepper jelly adds a bit of sweetness and subtle heat. Look for it at farmer’s markets and in gourmet shops.

　　

Ingredients

makes 42

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

　　1 tablespoon baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 1/4 cups milk

　　2 large eggs, room temperature

　　1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　1 15 1/4-ounce can corn kernels, drained

　　8 ounces fresh goat cheese, thinly sliced

　　1 cup pepper jelly

　　

Step 1

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, and butter until smooth and combined. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, and stir just until the batter is combined; fold in corn kernels.

　　

Step 2

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and rub it with enough oil to coat the surface. Drop batter by the tablespoon to make 2-inch cakes. Cook until undersides are golden brown, 45 to 60 seconds; turn over, and continue cooking until other sides are browned and cakes are heated through, about 1 minute. To serve, top each cake with a slice of goat cheese and a dollop of pepper jelly.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.