Hoe Cake

By Becky Jo

Hoe cake seems to be a rather elusive recipe, even among southerners. Apart from my own, I have only one friend whose family still makes it.

Even among us though, the variations are vast. His family makes it using corn meal as seems to be the custom among recipes found on the web. My family’s version uses flour and produces a bread much like buttermilk biscuits in flavor only with a lighter and fluffier texture and crispy outsides.

Either way you look at it, hoe cake is revered by those who know of it. I am sure its origins sprang forth much like the rest of our southern dishes – too little time and too few ingredients. It is a simple food to make but will easily take over the starring role at your dinner table. Once you see how simple it is to make, it will take a starring role in your dinner preparations as well!

Ingredients

• 2 cups self rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

Details

Adapted from southernplate.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425. Pour a thin layer of oil to cover the bottom of an eight inch round cake pan and place in oven to heat. Cut shortening into flour well. Pour milk in and stir until wet. Pour into well heated pan and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes or until browned. Invert onto plate.