Coconut Orange Cornmeal Pancakes (Gluten-Free)

Good evening!
I just threw these pancakes together for dinner tonight. I wasn't quite sure how the ingredients would work together, but they turned out great. They turned out so tasty I could barely save any to photograph before I dug into them. Enjoy!

This week one of my friends asked me how I came up with recipes. It's hard to explain. It's just the most natural thing in the world for me. Ever since I can remember my brain is always spinning with recipe ideas. Seriously people, I have memories of this from around 10 years old when I tried to make up meals for my poor family! Waking and sleeping, my brain is a buzz with ideas to cook food, style food, serve food and write about food. My friend who asked me this question, she plays the bass. And I told her just like her playing bass, for me cooking is my creative expression. This week, I was reading an article by Anne Lamott in Sunset magazine and I related to her describing this creative process as the sustenance of life. Cooking and gardening, photographing it, and writing about it is what makes my life fulfilling. What fulfills you? What gives your life meaning, purpose and joy? If you feel like sharing, I'd love to hear it. Now, back to the pancakes...

In Delicious Health,
Miss Jolie Ann

1 cup gluten free pancake mix
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, plus extra for garnish
2 eggs
1 tbsp alcohol-free pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened plain soymilk
1 tsp orange zest, plus extra for garnish
juice of one fresh squeezed orange
2 tbsp canola oil
extra canola oil or butter for cooking-about 1 tsp
optional: powdered sugar, butter, honey for topping

1. Warm the canola oil or butter in a skillet over low-medium heat. For cooking pancakes just right you do not want the skillet to be too hot. It burns the oil/butter and overcooks the outside of the pancakes.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Stir in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix the batter.
3. Use about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Pour into warm skillet. Cook each side until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes per side.
4. Serve warm with optional butter & honey. Garnish with extra coconut, orange zest and powdered sugar. Go crazy. Just down drown out the subtle orange and coconut flavor with maple syrup!