Saddle Bag Chuck: Hoe Cakes

Hoe cakes, or Johnny cakes, are similar to a pancake but use cornmeal instead of flour. At some point in history, numerous names seems to have referred to a similar cornmeal based batter. Also known as:

journey cake, Johnny bread, hoecake, Shawnee cake or spider cornbread, corn pones

they get their name from the type of cast iron hoe pan, or griddle. They were cooked in a pioneer’s fireplace or cooked on a campfire. It can be traced back as a staple in New England, while others claim that it originated in Rhode Island; a basic cornmeal gruel that is fried.

There are many variations from a thick batter to a thin, watery mush. Older recipes called for a much slower cooking time of half an hour, until the outside was crispy but not burned. A sizzling hot cast iron skillet gave me good results. Although the older recipes call for white cornmeal, which I could not find in the stores near me. I used stone ground organic yellow corn meal.

I used bacon grease for flavor, but butter would have been good too. Start with a sizzling hot cast iron griddle or hoe cake pan, and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use vegetable oil or butter, but beware that butter sometimes smokes when cooking over high heat.

Hoe Cakes

• 2 cups white cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal and salt, and then add hot water. Add just enough cold water to thin the batter. Add bacon fat. While the batter rests, preheat a hoecake pan or griddle. Drop by large spoonful onto a lightly greased sizzling hot pan and cook slowly until crisp around the edges. When the centers are set and the edges are bubbling, flip and cook them on the other side until done. Depending on the type of pan and heat method, it’s hard to provide the exact minutes for how long it will take, but the second side cooks faster than the first. I served ours with four different toppings: molasses, maple syrup, raspberry jam, and applesauce. My favorite was the syrup.

Hoe cakes are best served piping hot. The syrup soaks into that crispy, cornmeal cake and it was surprisingly delicious. I can imagine early pioneers enjoying these in a warm kitchen or cowboys filling up on this treat in cow camp just as the sun peaks over the horizon.

Let me know how your Johnny cakes turned out.

Natalie Cline Bright is an author of books for kids and adults, speaker, blogger, and freelance writer. There are two Hoe Cake recipes included in Natalie’s cookbook, KEEP ‘EM FULL AND KEEP ‘EM ROLLLIN’. Get my newest cookbook-history book, END OF THE TRAIL EATS about the food and history of Cowtowns, where ever fine books are sold.