Johnnycakes, aka Hoecakes

From New England to the Caribbean and beyond, the Johnnycake, or hoecake is a true American food in every sense of the word!

Thicker and denser than your standard, modern pancake, I actually prefer these simple, cornmeal staples of early-American cuisine, when I’m making a full breakfast.

Since the inspiration for this blog came from the idea of connecting with the past, through food, this recipe is part of the exploration of what my own ancestors would likely have eaten, having traced some branches of my family tree to people that lived in what is now Canada and the United States as far back as at least the 1690s.

A group of Narragansett with Roger Williams, founder of the Rhode Island colony.

The indigenous people of the Americas have used ground corn, or maize, for various foods for centuries, and what eventually became known as the Johnnycake was taught to early American colonizers by Native Americans; possibly the Narragansett people, from what is now Rhode Island. In fact, the Johnnycake remains a staple part Little Rhody cuisine, along with such transparently named offerings such as grinders, cabinets, and New York System Wieners.

Grinder

Coffee Cabinet

New York System Wiener, aka Hot Wiener

From there, the johnnycake spread and evolved, and variations can now be found from Canada to the Caribbean!

And it’s that fact that makes this an exciting recipe to try out; it’s truly an American food, both in terms of the country and the continent! And it was such staple dish, that no matter your race or ethnicity, if you had ancestors in North America from at least 1600s or earlier up until at least the mid-1800s, there’s a solid chance that they ate some variation of this.

There are various theories for the name “Johnnycake”, most of which posit that it’s a corruption of some earlier name, which may have been “Shawnee cakes”, “journey cakes”, or the word “jonakin” which was supposedly an Indigenous word meaning “corn cakes.” None of these seem to be agreed upon by historians, but what is for certain is that in the US, the name “johnnycake” is generally used in the Northeast, while “hoecake” is more common in the South.

There’s a common misconception (by people who have misconceptions about Colonial-era foods), that hoecakes got their name because they were cooked on the blades of garden hoes, by enslaved peoples, using their field tools as cooking implements.

In actuality, it’s more likely that the name actually comes from a cooking implement which was referred to as a “hoe”, “baking hoe”, or “bread hoe” which was more like a cast-iron pizza peel, similar to what has been referred to as a “bake-iron”. In his book, Brunswick Stew: A Virginia Tradition, author Joseph R. Haynes provides a variety of mentions of the “bread hoe” being the tool used to cook the eponymous hoecakes. We can also find mention of these kitchen tools in the inventories of estates from the 18th Century, where “baking hoes” are listed with kitchen tools, rather than farming implements.

While I suppose you could cook them on that kind of hoe, I think it’d be easier to cook on a skillet, and you’d get less dirt in your cakes.

In its simplest form, the johnnycake or hoecake can be made with just boiling water, cornmeal, and maybe a little salt. From there, you can plus them up by adding more ingredients and different seasonings, spices, sweeteners, etc. I think a spiced version, with some cayenne pepper or cinnamon & nutmeg, things like that, would be delightful!

This particular version of hoecakes is based on a recipe found in Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery from 1796, the first known cookbook published after the American Revolution, and falls somewhere in the middle in terms of johnny/hoecake complexity.

The “ry” is missing, but I assure you, the title is American Cookery.

This is actually the reason I’m referring to the cakes by both names; because Simmons’s recipe is literally titled: “Johny Cake, or Hoe Cake” indicating that, despite any regional differences these days, 18th century Americans likely considered them one and the same.

See!?

While some people certainly would eat these cakes on their own, they’re really best as part of a meal, just like modern pancakes. Not that people wouldn’t eat them on their own, but unless you’re relying on cornmeal as your main form of sustenance, making them part of a breakfast is probably the way to go. And as for toppings, while they’re great with syrup, like a regular pancake, the common topping in New England is actually honey! So, if you’ve got some good honey in your cupboard, I’d recommend giving that a try.

Yield: 3 - 4

Author: Loyd Mitchell

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Johnnycakes (aka, Hoecakes)

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Inspired by a 1796 recipe for a staple dish from early-America, these cornmeal pancakes make a delicious addition to any breakfast!

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups finely ground, white or yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Tbsp molasses
• 2 Tbsp shortening (butter, lard, vegetable shortening, etc.)
• 1 cup cold water

Instructions

1. Sift the cornmeal into a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Scald the milk by putting the milk into a small pan, and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until the temperature of the milk reaches about 180F, or until small bubbles start to appear around the edges of the milk.
3. Add shortening, salt, and molasses to the flour.
4. Pour in the scalded milk, and mix everything together until its well-incorporated, and the consistency is somewhere between a sticky dough and a thick cake batter.
5. Add a little cold water, stir, and repeat until the batter reaches the desired consistency. This can be as thin as a modern pancake batter, or thicker, depending on your preference.
6. Heat a pan or skillet over medium heat.
7. Once the pan is heated, add 1 - 2 tsp of the shortening of your choice.
8. Add a few ladles of batter into the pan to form the cakes.
9. Once the edges start to sizzle and/or you start to see small bubbles in the center, flip the cakes. They should only need to cook for a few minutes on each side.
10. Recommend serving with honey or syrup, as part of a breakfast.

Notes

• Other ingredients, spices, seasonings, etc. can be added to make sweeter or more savory cakes.
• Scalding the milk isn't 100% necessary, as it was originally done as a sort of at-home pasteurization, but it does help to incorporate the shortening with the rest of the dry ingredients.
• Plant-based milk can be substituted for the milk; full-fat is still recommended, if possible.