HOE Cakes

Ya'll have been asking for it...so I thought I would deliver... The Blog on my famous "Hoe Cakes". The name "Hoe Cakes" cracks everyone up and no one seems to know exactly what I'm talking about when I say hoe cakes....so I thought I would give you a history lesson on how Hoe Cakes came about.

But before that... let me tell you why I decided to make Hoe Cakes. For the past few years, we've had an oyster roast for my sister and law Lauren's Birthday. This year...Gail, my mother in law told me the menu for Lauren's Birthday Dinner... it went something like this: Oysters, Fish Stew, Hot Dogs and Hush puppies. At that point I immediately said (being the GA girl that I am)... "Great... I'll bring Chili and cornbread". It was my polite way of saying..."um yeah...I don't really eat oysters and something called fish stew just sounds nasty!"

Here's your History Lesson on Hoe Cakes:
The term hoecake first occurs in 1745, and the term is used by American writers such as Joel Barlow and Washington Irving. The origin of the name is the method of preparation: field hands often cooked it on a shovel or hoe held to an open flame. Hoes designed for cotton fields were large and flat with a hole for the long handle to slide through; the blade would be removed and placed over a fire much like a griddle. Hoe Cakes are often called "griddle cakes" as well.

So whether you call them Cornbread, Hoe Cakes or Griddle Cakes... here's a Great recipe to try!


Meme's Cornmeal Griddle Cakes
Bon Appetit, Ya'll- Virginia Willis

2 Cups white or yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup water, plus more if needed
1/5 corn oil, for frying

To prepare the batter, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the egg and the 1 cup water. Whisk until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using as few strokes as possible.
To fry the griddle cakes, heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter onto the heated skillet.
Repeat with additional batter, without crowding.
Cook the cakes until the bottoms are brown and bubbles form on the tops and edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Serve Immediately.

Serve with Butter (and Syrup if you're looking for a way to make it even more fattening!)