Banana Corn Fritters

Savory, smoky and slightly sweet, these are great with roast pork loin, a hearty bowl of black bean soup or barbecued chicken legs and coleslaw. Dotted with creme fraiche, they make an exotic appetizer.

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4-1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, (see Ingredient note) or cayenne pepper

1 1/4 cups roughly mashed bananas, (about 3 medium)

1 large egg

2 tablespoon milk, or buttermilk

2 tablespoon canola oil, divided

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Step 2
Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chipotle (or cayenne) in a medium bowl. Mix banana, egg and milk (or buttermilk) in another medium bowl. Add the cornmeal mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just incorporated.

Step 3
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; using 2 tablespoons of batter for each, space 5 fritters evenly in the pan. Cook until golden brown, 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cook a second batch with the remaining oil and batter, adjusting heat to prevent burning.

Step 4
Transfer the fritters to the oven and bake until puffed and firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes.

Ingredient Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers, often used to add heat and a smoky flavor to foods. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty-spice section of most supermarkets.