Harrodsburg’s Beaumont Inn serves as a classic example of Southern hospitality in the Bluegrass State. Constructed in 1845, the primary building originally housed a young women’s college before it was sold to Glave and Annie Bell Goddard, who transformed it into an inn that opened in 1919. Beaumont Inn today is owned and operated by the Dedman family, descendants of the Goddards. Inn visitors will be enchanted by the elegantly appointed main dining room and a menu that has changed little over its century in business.
Serves 4-5
(2 cakes per serving)
1 cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1¼ cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or shortening
1. Sift together cornmeal, baking soda and salt.
2. Add beaten eggs to dry mixture, and then stir in buttermilk. Beat until smooth.
3. Dip tablespoonfuls of batter onto a hot griddle greased with bacon drippings or shortening. Let batter cakes brown on the bottom, then turn quickly and lightly to brown on the other side.
4. Serve with brown sugar syrup.
Brown Sugar Syrup
2 pounds light brown sugar
3 cups cold water
1. Stir together sugar and water, mixing well.
2. Bring to a hard boil for 10 minutes. Do not stir after placing over the heating element, as stirring or agitation will cause syrup to go to sugar.
Recipes and images courtesy of Beaumont Inn.