Hoe Cakes are basically a corn pancake.  In plantation days, field hands would sometimes bake them on the blade of a hoe or shovel that had been heated in an open fire, thus giving them their name.  They were a favorite breakfast food of George Washington who ate them for breakfast almost every morning served with honey and melted butter.  In Washington’s time they would have been leavened with yeast instead of the baking powder used in this recipe.

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 egg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

1 ½ cups cold water or milk

Sift all dry ingredients together.  Whisk the liquid, melted butter and egg together and add to the dry ingredients.  Fold in gently only until all dry ingredients are moistened.  Lumpy batter is O.K.  Over mixing will result in tough cakes.  Use about 1/4  cup of batter for each cake and bake on a heated heavy skillet or griddle just like you would any pan cake.  Serve with butter and honey, syrup or molasses.