Sweet Hot Corn Cake

1. Stage

Combine 1 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until blackberries break down into a sauce, about 10 minutes.

2. Stage

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Stage

Hold corn ear upright on a cutting board; slice kernels off the cob carefully with a knife. Transfer corn kernels to a bowl. Run the flat side of the knife along the cob to extract corn milk; pour into the bowl. Mix in buttermilk, eggs, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and jalapeno peppers.

4. Stage

Mix corn-buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. Fold in 1/2 cup sliced blackberries, orange zest, and thyme.

5. Stage

Pour blackberry sauce into a bowl through a fine-mesh strainer. Pour sauce back into the saucepan. Discard solids.

6. Stage

Mix 2 tablespoons orange juice and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Stir a few drops of the blackberry sauce into the cornstarch mixture. Pour cornstarch mixture into the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

7. Stage

Whip 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon honey together to make honey butter.

8. Stage

Melt 1 teaspoon butter on a griddle over medium-high heat. Drop 1/4 cup corn cake batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Top warm corn cakes with a some honey butter and a drizzle blackberry syrup.