CORN-MEAL FLAPJACKS

1 qt sour or buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten light
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda dissolved in hot water
2 tbs. molasses
1 tbs. lard, melted
1/2 c. flour
Corn meal

Add [to other ingredients] meal to make a batter a trifle thicker than flannel cakes.

From Common Sense in the Household by Mrs. Marion Harland, 1871

Comment: Here again we see what constituted a "recipe" in the 19th century. You get a list of ingredients, and then the author trusts you with the experience, previous examples, and the brains God gave a goose, to know what to do with them. It is also assumed that you are familiar with the making of "flannel cakes" but unless you have worked at a county fair or traveling carnival this may not be the case. It needs to be thin enough to spread out when poured into a pan but thick enough to stay in a reasonably small, thick circular region. We trust this has clarified the matter somewhat.

Return to Recipe Index