Johnnycakes

Johnnycake (or "journey cake") is a baked cornmeal flatbread and was a popular American pioneer staple food that goes back to the early 1700s. The dough was set on a wooden board or barrel stave and placed at an angle in front of an open fire to bake. The dough, made of cornmeal, salt, and water, was seldom sweetened since sugar was expensive and in short supply in early colonial America and on the frontier.

Modern johnnycake is popularly identified with Rhode Island, where the johnnycake retains its popularity for breakfast with butter and and jam or maple syrup, as well as a companion dish with stews and roasts. There is the added distinction that it be made with stone ground white flint corn, grown locally.  Elsewhere, the cakes can be made with yellow cornmeal, but for the authentic "crunch" of the original Johnny cake, even the yellow corn should be stone ground. Also see Cornmeal Pancakes, a later, modern version of Johnnycake.

The origin of the name johnny cakes has been lost over the centuries. Rhode Island experts on the johnnycake, particularly the members of the "Propagation of the Jonnycake Tradition" society, assert that the origin of the word "jonnycake" is from "journey cake," because it was carried on trips. Incidentally, the word "journey" is often pronounced "jonny" in that part of New England where the letter 'r' is dropped, as in 'cah' instead of 'car.' Some say it comes from the Algonquin word for corn cakes, which was “joniken.” Or from “Jannockin,” an English word for a simple oatmeal cake. But spelling issues aside, it is likely that jonnycakes were first made by American Indians, and later adopted by the colonists.

1 egg
2 cups water-ground cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups milk

Beat the egg. Stir in the cornmeal, salt and enough milk to make a thick batter. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased hot cast iron griddle. When the cakes are nicely browned, flip and cook the other side.

Serve the johnny cake warm with toppings of choice; butter and maple syrup are common, although jam and savory spreads can be used as well.

Makes 12 cakes