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Fierce Foodie: Hey Johnny Johnny Cake

Photo Credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Some foods aren’t just fun to eat, they’re fun to say, like Johnny cakes.  Johnny cakes, Johnny cakes, ooh Johnny Johnny cakes!  I do have good friend named Jonny, but sadly he is not the type of person who would respond well to having the word  “cakes” added to the end of his name.

Ah, well.  My interest in this fun-to-say food was peaked when my favorite place for breakfast recently starting serving Johnny cakes with butter, powdered sugar, and whipped cream.  I ordered them once as a lark and was hooked.  Johnny cakes are basically thin fried cornmeal cakes, and when eaten fresh off the griddle with plenty of butter approach the divine.  It makes sense, since it seems as long as there has been cornmeal, there has been Johnny cake, or hoe cake as some call it down South.  Here is a simple recipe for Johnny cakes at home:

Johnny cakes (adapted from ifoodtv recipe)

2 cups cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cups milk

Directions:

Place the cornmeal and salt in a bowl, add the boiling water, then blend in the milk and mix to a stiff batter.

Drop the batter 1 tbsp at a time into a hot well greased frying pan or griddle and spread into 3-inch rounds.

Fry the Johnnycakes for 1-2 minutes until the undersides are beginning to brown at the edges, then flip and cook other side for another 1-2 minutes.  Cakes should be golden brown.

Always serve Johnny-cakes hot with plenty of butter.  Other possible toppings include maple syrup, apple topping, and powdered sugar and cream.