39. PROCEDURE IN BAKING GRIDDLE CAKES.--During the preparation of the
batter for griddle cakes, have the griddle heating, so that it will be
sufficiently hot when the cakes are ready to be baked. Each time, before
the baking is begun, grease the griddle, provided it is the kind that
requires greasing, by rubbing over it a rind of salt pork or a small
cloth pad that has been dipped into a dish of grease. In greasing the
griddle, see that there is no excess of grease, as this burns and
produces smoke.
When the griddle has become hot enough for the batter to sizzle when it
is put on, the baking may be started. Pour the batter on the griddle
from the tip of a large spoon, so that the cakes will form as nearly
round as possible. When the top surface is full of bubbles, turn the
cakes with a spatula or a pancake turner, and allow them to brown on the
other side. By the time the cakes are sufficiently browned on both
sides, they should be cooked through and ready to serve. If they brown
before they have had time to cook through, the griddle is too hot and
should be cooled by moving it to a cooler part of the stove or by
reducing the heat. A very important point to remember in the baking of
griddle cakes is that they should not be turned twice, as this has a
tendency to make them heavy.
40. GRIDDLE CAKES.--As is generally known, griddle cakes are thin
batters that are made light with a chemical leavening agent. Eggs are
often used in such batters, but it is possible to make very excellent
griddle cakes without the use of any eggs. It should also be remembered
that the use of too much egg is more certain to make the cakes tough and
less palatable than if none is used. The kind of flour used for griddle
cakes has much to do with the consistency of the batter used for them.
If, when the first cakes are placed upon the griddle, the batter seems
to be either too thick or too thin, liquid or flour may be added to
dilute or thicken the batter until it is of the right consistency. For
instance, if bread flour is used, more liquid may be needed, and if
pastry flour is used, more flour may be required.
GRIDDLE CAKES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
3 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2-1/4 c. milk
2 Tb. melted fat
Mix and sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Beat the
egg, add to it the milk, and pour this liquid slowly into the dry
ingredients. Beat the mixture thoroughly and then add the melted
fat. Bake the cakes on a hot griddle as soon as possible after the
batter is mixed.
41. SOUR-MILK GRIDDLE CAKES.--Very delicious griddle cakes may be made
by using sour milk and soda for the liquid and leavening instead of
sweet milk and baking powder. Besides being particularly appetising,
such cakes serve to use up left-over milk that may have soured. There is
very little difference between the ingredients for this recipe and one
calling for sweet milk, except that sour milk, which is a trifle
thicker in consistency than sweet milk, requires less flour to thicken
the mixture.
SOUR-MILK GRIDDLE CAKES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2-1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. soda
2 c. sour milk (not thick)
1 egg
Mix and sift the flour, salt, sugar, and soda. Add to these the sour
milk and the egg well beaten. If the milk is thick, the quantity
should be increased accordingly. Beat the mixture thoroughly and
bake at once on a hot griddle.
42. CORN GRIDDLE CAKES.--The addition of corn meal to a griddle-cake
mixture adds variety and food value and produces an agreeable flavor.
Where corn meal is cheap, it is an economical ingredient to use in
griddle cakes and other hot breads.
CORN GRIDDLE CAKES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1/2 c. corn meal
1-1/2 c. boiling water
2 c. milk
2 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 Tb. melted fat
Add the corn meal to the boiling water, boil 5 minutes, and turn into a
bowl. Then add the milk. Next, mix and sift the flour, baking powder,
salt, and sugar, and stir them into the first mixture. Beat the egg and
add to the whole. Finally, stir in the melted fat. Bake on a
hot griddle.
43. RICE GRIDDLE CAKES.--If a change in the ordinary griddle cakes that
are used for breakfast is desired, rice griddle cakes should be tried.
Besides lending variety, the addition of rice to a griddle-cake mixture
helps to use up any left-over rice that may have been cooked for another
purpose. Steamed or boiled rice used for this purpose should be broken
up with a fork before it is mixed in the batter, so that the grains of
rice will not stick together in chunks.
RICE GRIDDLE CAKES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2-1/2 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold cooked rice
1 egg
1-1/2 c. milk
2 Tb. melted fat
Mix and sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Work the rice
into the dry ingredients. Add the egg, well beaten, the milk, and the
melted fat. Bake on a hot griddle.
44. BUCKWHEAT CAKES.--Buckwheat flour is used for griddle cakes more
than for any other purpose. When used in this way it has a very typical
flavor that most people find very agreeable. Many prepared buckwheat
flours, to which have been added the quantity of leavening agent
necessary to raise the mixture, are on the market for the convenience of
those who do not desire to prepare the mixture at home. As a rule, these
contain a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour. To make cakes from
these flours, add the required amount of liquid, either milk or water,
and a little sugar, if necessary, and then proceed to bake them on a
griddle. While there is no objection to the use of such flours if they
are found agreeable, it is more expensive to use them than to make up
the buckwheat mixture at home. A recipe for buckwheat cakes that proves
very satisfactory is the following:
BUCKWHEAT CAKES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. scalded milk
1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 yeast cake
3/4 c. lukewarm water
1-1/2 c. buckwheat flour
1/2 c. white flour
1 Tb. molasses
1/4 tsp. soda
Pour the scalded milk over the bread crumbs and add the salt. Dissolve
the yeast cake in 1/2 cupful of the lukewarm water and add this to the
bread crumbs and milk. Stir in the buckwheat and the white flour, and
let the mixture rise overnight. In the morning, stir it well and add the
molasses, the soda, and 1/4 cupful of lukewarm water. Bake on a
hot griddle.
If cakes are to be baked the next day, retain 1/2 cupful of the batter,
to which may be added flour, milk, salt, and molasses. By doing this
each day, a starter may be had for a long period of time. If a strong
buckwheat flavor is desired, use all buckwheat flour, but if only a
slight buckwheat flavor is desired, make the proportion of wheat flour
greater and that of the buckwheat smaller.