Friday, July 25, 2008

Homemade Corn Toasties

Growing up I loved to eat Corn Toasties for breakfast. Those sweet, dense, toastable cornmeal circles dripping in melted butter were such a treat. I think I remember that we used to buy them frozen from a Howard Johnson restaurant near our house. Its been a long time since I've had them, or even thought of them, but over the Fourth of July I thought I spotted some in my parents' freezer. This made me start thinking, could I make my own corn toasties at home? I mentioned them to Matt & he said he'd never had them so this set me on my mission.
Homemade Corn Toasties
I started looking for recipes online. There were are couple things called corn toasties that were really muffins & then there was something that was creamed corn on toast! There was only one that sounded like what I was looking for & it was an anonymous recipe from Cooks.com (the exact same recipe was also on a few other sites). The ingredients sounded right though some of the other instructions were a little vague, like what temperature was needed for baking. Well, I figured I'd been doing enough baking lately that I could take a stab at it.

This was what I had been looking for. The batter cooked up to a nice thin, dense corn cake which held together well when cut into individual portions & in the toaster. The flavor was just as I remembered sweet but not too sweet with that great texture you get from cornmeal. I would have loved to have made these round like the ones I grew up but the squares probably fit the toaster better anyway.

This morning we popped them in the toaster & I was brought right back to childhood.

Corn Toasties

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

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium-sized bowl mix together the melted butter & sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the baking powder, cornmeal, flour & 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

This is my sweet (as opposed to savory) entry for the new food event over at What's Cooking.
ilovebaking.jpg
Ben is hosting a bi-weekly event for people who love to bake with prizes for both sweet & savory entries. The first deadline is August 7th so preheat those ovens & join the fun.

74 comments:

eatingclubvancouver_js said...

I've never had corn toasties before either. . .might have to try making some because I'm drooling over my computer right now. Nothing beats the combo of corn and butter!

Thistlemoon said...

Ohhh those look great! I don't think I ever had one before and that is just SO wrong! Thanks for sharing!

Nikki @ NikSnacks said...

So...it's cornbread?

Anonymous said...

I'd never heard of corn toasties before, but I'm intrigued. They sound delicious!

Anonymous said...

I love cornbread so I'm sure I'd love these.

Rigby said...

We used to eat corn toasties for breakfast when I was little. They were such a treat, and I haven't seen them anywhere for awhile. I am so excited to come across your recipe! Thanks!

Allen said...

How come I have never heard of these before -- they look SO delicious!

Shelby said...

I love corn toasties! We can get them from the Freihoffer bread outlet, but having home made ones would be much better I'm sure!

For those asking, corn toasties are a lot like corn bread, a little less crumbly and a little more sweet and when toasted are crisp around the edges and taste wonderful with lots of melted butter! YUMMM

test it comm said...

I have never had a Corn Toasty but they look and sound good!

Sean said...

A blast from the past! Just like the others I loved them as a kid. I'm going to make some, plus some for the freezer

Jaye Joseph said...

I used to love these as a kid and have looked for them everywhere as an adult! Thank you for posting this. I can't wait to try them!

Anonymous said...

OMG! I love those things. I'm sure they must be 10 times better when homemade. Thanks for sharing. I love your photo too. Mmm, all the butter melting on top.

Anonymous said...

We used to have the toasties with blueberries in them ~ I am going to try your recipe and add the blueberries and see what happens. Thanks for bringing back some great memories!

Pam said...

God, I haven't had corn toasties in forever, but I did notice the other day that my market still carries them. Thanks for the recipe!

kat said...

Thanks everyone. I'm glad I could bring back memories for some & introduce these yummy treats to a few others!

Anonymous said...

Oh My Gosh, you just took me back years and years.....about 50 to be honest. I haven't had one since then. Would you mind if I made them and blogged them, giving YOU appropriate credit of course.

Katie B. said...

Whoa corn toasties! It has been YEARS since I've seen one! This really takes me back - I can't wait to try this recipe!

kat said...

Ron - Please do. I'd love to see what other people do with this recipe.

Anonymous said...

Pretty cool name. I like it already. Glad to know that it's not too sweet... This should make for a good side dish.

Deborah said...

I've never heard of these before, but they sure do sound delicious!

Neen said...

Thanks for the tip on Ben's event, I'm definitely going to participate!

christeen said...

yummmmm!!! i copied this recipe, made these last night, and am enjoying them right now at my desk! what a great idea. thank you!

TNelson said...

I just took these out of the oven and had to have one warm without toasting it - yummy! I can't wait to try one toasted. One small error I think - your ingredient list says "baking powder" and your instructions say "baking soda" I went with the baking powder and they turned out great. Thought you might want to edit...thanks for great easy recipe.

Trish

kat said...

Trish - Thanks for the catch there. The ingredients list id correct it is baking powder. I fixed it in the instructions. Oh those darn typos :) Glad they turned out good!

Anonymous said...

Kat ~ I tried them with blueberries and they are fantastic! I blogged about your recipe today ~ check it out ~ http://nancysrecipes.wordpress.com/2008/08/02/blueberry-corn-toasties/

Adam said...

Just wanted to say your corn toasties look great. I have a lot of fond memories about them too :) Thanks for bringing back the simpler days of Ninja Turtles and saying NOT at everything.

Cool site by the way.

Dee said...

I've never had corn toasties before but they look so good with the butter. Yum. Would polenta work, do you think?

Anonymous said...

Okay, we don't know each other but I absolutely adore you for posting this! I grew up on these living up North and on a recent trip was disappointed to see that I could not find them. Now I can make them and relive the joys of youth eating these hot from the toaster slathered with butter. Yeah!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey! I made these last night and they were wondeful! I blogged about them here, http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com/2008/09/cornbread-in-toaster.html, and linked back to your site. Thanks for the recipe!

Arika

Old-Green7544 said...

Thomas' has made them for years. I stopped eating them, after having them for breakfast for about 30+ years, when they made high fructose corn syrup the main ingredient.

I just noticed that they now have taken all the high fructose corn syrup out! I look forward to buying them again.

More info here:
http://thomas.gwbakeries.com/product.cfm/upc/4812111701

Cheers,

John L

Anonymous said...

Just a thought...muffin top pans would produce your round shape wonderfully I think. Just the right thickness too.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this. I used to eat the HoJo corn toasties all the time growing up in SC. I will certainly try this recipe out with my kids.

Anonymous said...

Oh.My.Goodness!

I was wanting corn toasties this morning. It's been about 25 years now. My family used to get them when we would go visit my grandparents in Minnesota. My mission for today was to find a recipe for them. Out of all I have seen, yours looks like the real deal!

We will be having corn toasties for breakfast tomorrow!

Brian Dalton said...

Oh, wow! I hadn't thought of Corn Toasties for years until today! There was nothing better on a cold school morning than two Corn Toasties dripping with butter, or on a summer day, with strawberry jam on top...Now I absolutely have to try this recipe, thank you so much for posting it!

Anonymous said...

I called my Mom to see if she remembered the Corn Toastees. While we were on the phone, I found your recipe. I made them tonight, added blueberries (they're plentiful right now and that's what got me thinking about the toastees to begin with). They tasted JUST like they used to when I was a kid. Thanks for the great recipe!!

Anonymous said...

I remember corn toasties--haven't thought about them for years. Thank you, I'll certainly try them.

Anonymous said...

This looks like the one's made by VanDeKamps bakery back in the 1960's.. They toasted up nice and crispy with a pleasant taste corn meal.

mary said...

These are wonderful. I make them every week, in muffin top pans. Makes about 9, bake for 20 min. Awesome recipe! Thank you, thank you.

Kim said...

I had these when we lived up north and then we moved to Texas and couldn't find them at ALL! I'm going to try this recipe and test it out! One tip to make them circular: bake as you said in the 10x15 pan and then use a glass for the circle shape, place the glass on top of cooled corn cake and cut with a sharp knife around the top of the glass to make into a circle. I did this technique to make a mini-layer cake for my baby's birthday. You'll of course have lots of leftover pieces but that makes easy snacking :)

Anonymous said...

Thanx a lot! I worked at Howard Johnson's in the sixties -- breakfast shift. I served these repeatedly and ate them several times a week. They were always freshgreat. I never successfully transitioned to the grocery store frozen ones.
Now I make mine fresh and round using hamburger bun pans.
-- Happy old aged woman.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this recipe, Howard Johnson's frozen corn toasties were available until a few years ago.
We were missing them until this recipe. These corn toasties are even better, love them!

Nan said...

Thanks for the recipe! It sounds just like the ones I grew up eating. I am wondering if anyone ate the bran toasties or has a recipe for them? My mom, who is pretty sick, has been craving them, and google has failed me! Any help would be appreciated. -Nan

kat said...

Nan - I've never had bran toasties, so unfortunately I wouldn't even know where to start.

Anonymous said...

I think I love you! haha

My family is originally from Little Falls Minn but I was born and raised in Texas. 50 yrs later, still here. Every year we would go to Minn to visit the grandparents and we would bring back a suitcase full of Howard Johnsons Corn Toasties and Salt Water Taffy. I have had a craving for these for 5 years now. That was the last time we went to Minn.

Thank you for bringing back such wonderful childhood memories for me. I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow morning!

Anonymous said...

Yesterday morning my 72 year old husband and me his 65 year old wife awoke and turned to each other and , I'm not kidding,said we both had a real craving for corn toasties from Howard Johnson's. Well they are long gone and so off to the internet!
Today for breakfast we had them after at least 25 years. Thanks, Thanks, Thanks! I'll meet my maker with a big smile knowing that I had them here and you know they will be in heaven too. I guess I'm going there???

LFrances said...

I made the corn toasties last week and they are absolutely fabulous! It's wonderful to have them again, especially since we could not find them in any of the stores we patronize. Thanks!

Rosie said...

I was watching America's Test Kitchen this morning and they were talking about Horn & Hardart recipes/food and that got me to thinking about all the food I've been missing. Corn Toasties popped into my mind and I started Googling.
So happy to come across your recipe. I will try it soon - I also remember the blueberry version.
Since I'm supposed to be GF, I'm going to try to create a GF version (so I can pig out whenever)!

It amazes me that some of these companies don't go back in their files and think about re-introducing some of these products. Of course, most of the companies have been bought out and have no interest or knowledge in these items.

The other product line I have wished for is the original single layer cakes that Sara Lee used to make: banana, orange or chocolate. They were simple but very good - I don't think their double layer, fancy cakes are as good.

Thanks

Hank said...

I am still crying. I have not had Corn Toastees since the early 1980's. I grew up on them in the 60's-70's and cannot believe this recipe is here in front of me now. They say that smell is the most connected sense to memory, and the popcorn being made in the breakroom at work reminded me of my favorite breakfast as a kid. Had to do a search. SOOOOOO glad I found this post!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Tammy said...

OH MY GOSH!!! I also have been thinking about Corn Toasties for a LONG time!These little delights are among my favorite memories from childhood in the 50's and 60's. And it looks like a lot of other "baby-boomers" are posting and feel as I do. THANK YOU so much for the recipe....now I'm heading to the kitchen!

Anonymous said...

I made these this afternoon and my girlfriend loved them. They are great. Thank you for posting this recipe.

jackie said...

I will be making these very very soon. I made corn bread the other night and had some left over. I thought about eating it for breakfast and then out of no where my brain remembered eating corn toasties as a kid with a soft boiled egg on top. Then I thought "no no, this corn bread will not do, I need Corn Toaties!" I went to the store and searched every inch of the freezer section and was SO sad to realize that they aren't around anymore. Since then I have been craving corn toasties with butter and velvety egg yoke. I can taste it in my mouth and I think I just drooled on my keyboard. I am so happy to find your recipe. Thank you!

Tom said...

Note that a 10" x 15" pan equals 150 square inches. Thus this recipe will produce 16 corn toasties for the size specified. Just more to enjoy!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Note that a 10" x 15" pan is 150 square inches and this recipe will produce 16 pieces. More to enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kat,
OMG! This recipe is perfect and like others bring me back to my childhood. I too grew up on Howard Johnson's Corn toasties.. I grew up Massachusetts. I made your recipe many times now and my kids ask me to make Corn Toasties all the time now...I think we have a new family tradition thanks to you! BTW I really loved Howard Johnson's Orange Toasties as well. Have you tried to turn this recipe into Orange Toasties? Any suggestions? Thank you!

kat said...

You know, I never had an orange corn toastie. You could try adding some orange zest to the batter and see how that works.

lori lewis said...

Thanks for your recipe!! years ago I went to AntiGua for a January vacation and they had a cornmeal bread that you could slice and toast have been looking for the recipe since then... If you find one let me know??

Barbara said...

For almost a year, I was paid to go visit a bitter old woman about 45 minutes away. Nothing made her happy, but I went anyhow because I needed the money. One day she was whining about not being able to buy Corn Toasties anymore. I'd never heard of them. Well, I found your blog, baked the things, and you and I together (mostly you) have made her smile! She's happy every time I bring them. Also, I have a friend who's 86 and SHE loves them, too. So ... thanks SO much!

Anonymous said...

I was born in the late 70's and my grandma used to make me these delicious square corn thingies. My favorite were the blueberry ones but I've also had the and plain corn. She would buy them frozen a pack of 4 at our grocery store in south Florida. I've been craving them for some time and decided just yesterday to do a search for these delightful squares. I'm do happy to have come across this blog. I will be making these soon!! My husband has never heard of these before.

Bev said...

I used to eat these in NY when I was a kid. Fast forward 30 years in Ohio and our local bakery made them but they were in very few stores. In January they discontinued them! I found your recipe and made them and they are wonderful with butter on them!!! I cut mine in 12 pieces so they were a little bigger and I sprinkled a little cinnamon on them after I put the butter on and THEY ARE FANTASTIC! Thank you:) I can't wait to have my dad that has dementia try them because he used to love them too:)

Hank said...

Small correction to your article: I don't recall HoJo's Corn Toaties ever being circular in format. They were made rectangular to fit the toasters, before the popularity of the toaster oven over emerged. Still thankful for the recipe, though!

Anonymous said...

Dreamt of Corn Toasties last night, slathered in butter... found your blog....and now I'm thinking about creating a baking pan to create those lovely 4 1/2 inch round delights. Thanks for keeping an aging brain moving along.

Unknown said...

Hi! I am so excited to find this recipe. Can you clarify for me the size of the stick of butter? Thanks :)!!!!

kat said...

In the US a stick of butter is 1/4 of a pound which is 4 oz or 8 Tablespoons.

Karl N. said...

Is the T in the recipe teaspoons or tablespoons ? I am anxious to try this recipe because the Thomas Toast-R cakes, which I can get in NJ, are not what they once were. Very thin now...

kat said...

A capital T is tablespoon and a small t is teaspoon.

Unknown said...

I'm so trying this recipe. I love these cakes but they are so expensive in the store. I am going to invest in a Whoopie Pie pan from walmart. They would be the perfect size for these.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kat,
I had the comment about Howard Johnson's Orange Toasties back in June 8 2013. I tried your suggestion about adding orange zest to the batter and it came out perfectly! The taste is like a remembered! Thanks so much!

Steve

M. Johnson said...

I remember having these and the blueberry variety at HoJo restaurants back in the late 60's and early 70's. Thanks for posting. I will be pinning for later use!

Candis said...

I have been reading about these cornbread toasties and just made some in my 4 inch spring pan. They turned out delicious. The next time I will adjust the amount I put in. They were more like muffins that toasties but delicious anyway
Candy

Mistymfn said...

Oooh ~ They Sound Just Like The Howard Johnson's Corn Muffin "Toastees" I Bought For My Kids When They Were Little! Gonna Make Them For Sure ~ Thanks So Much For Sharing!

DustyHobo said...

Like so many above have said, I too used to have these on a regular basis back in the day. I did find that Thomas makes these as their Toast-R-Cakes now which are about the same as the originals. But - back then they also made these toasties out of a raisin bran mix which I liked even better than the corn. Has anyone ever come across them now or a recipe to make them like the one for corn toasties that started this blog? Nice to see good things coming back.

Leslie said...

Our family used to buy Corn Toasties from Sternberg's in Montreal in the 70's. I have yet to find a recipe that brings back the memory of that taste but this one looks very promising! Thanks for sharing.

DABEANE said...

I remember round corn toasties because I was addicted to them and used to go to Howard Johnson's alot. I liked them better than cake. I can smell them and enjoyed slatthering butter over them. I almost cried when I realized they were no longer available. Thank you for this recipe I will try it.

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