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Pull up a chair and let me share with you a recipe that’s stitched into the very fabric of our family gatherings – Grandma’s Famous Hoecakes. These flat, golden breads are much like the pancakes you might be a-fixing for breakfast, only these are made with cornmeal, a nod to our rich Midwestern roots. Born from the resourcefulness of field workers who’d cook ’em up on the blades of their hoes right over an open flame, hoecakes have a history as deep and complex as the soil in which we plant our corn. You might want to rustle up a batch of these hoecakes to give your family a taste of tradition, or to serve up a piece of history, so sweet and warm, it could’ve been plucked right off the stalk of yesteryear.
Hoecakes are as versatile as they come. Serve them up with a dollop of butter and a drizzle of honey for a simple joy. Looking for a hearty breakfast? Pair them with some thick-cut bacon and eggs, cooked up just the way you like them. And for supper, they sit alongside any meal that calls for a good, spongy bread to soak up juice and gravy – think ham hocks, greens, or a stew that’s been simmering away all the afternoon long.
Grandma’s Famous Hoecakes
Servings: 4-6 folks
Ingredients
– 2 cups of stone-ground cornmeal, white or yellow as you please
– 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (for a touch of tenderness)
– 1 teaspoon of sugar (just a whisper, now)
– 1/2 teaspoon of salt
– 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
– 2 cups of buttermilk, rich and tangy
– 1 large egg, whisked until frothy
– 1/4 cup of bacon drippings or vegetable oil, for that down-home sizzle
Directions
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