Batter - Griddle cakes are prepared in the form of thin batters.

Sweet, sour, or butter milk may be used in griddle cakes.

Flour, stale bread, rice, corn meal or other cereals may form the foundation of griddle cake batters.

The Griddle - Griddle cakes are made round or long in shape.

Iron griddles hold an intense heat and give good results in baking. When black they heat best.

Aluminum griddles - which require little or no greasing - heat very easily, are easily cleaned and light to handle. The aluminum griddle is apt to warp and one of the heavy cast aluminum must be selected to avoid this danger.

Soapstone griddles - which must not be greased at all - give excellent results in baking but are very heavy.

Electric griddles of steel or aluminum are most satisfactory because of the even heat which can be secured and maintained.

Preparation of Griddle - Make sure the griddle is perfectly smooth. Rub an iron griddle well with salt to clean.

If it is to be greased, rub it with a piece of salt pork on the end of a fork, with suet, or with beef drippings or lard on a soft cloth. Butter is expensive and burns too easily to be desirable.

Wipe off with tissue paper before using to remove any black.

Scrape off any mixture that sticks.

Grease after each using.

For cake turners the regulation cake turners, plain or perforated, are made, or a broad-bladed spatula may be used, or a broad-bladed knife.

Baking - Pour batter carefully from spoon or pitcher so that it will take a round shape.

Test griddle and batter first by baking one cake. When it bubbles on top evenly, turn and brown on under side. Turn only once while baking.

Serving - Always have a hot plate ready for serving cakes. Serve immediately when baked.

A perforated cover is good to put over the plate or a napkin may be folded over the cakes if they have to stand for a few minutes.

Granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and syrups are all used as accompaniments in serving griddle cakes.

Plain Griddle Cakes

1 quart flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs 3 cups milk 1/4 cup butter

Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs and add milk to the yolks. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and fold in the whites of the eggs. Add butter, melted, last. Cook at once on a hot griddle. The batter may be made quickly without separating the eggs. Serves 16 to 20.

Corn Meal Griddle Cakes

1 cup corn meal 1 cup hot milk 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 cup sugar 2 eggs

Pour the hot milk over the meal, stir thoroughly, and cook 5 minutes. Sift the remaining dry ingredients; when the meal has cooled, mix all together and add the well-beaten eggs. Add cold milk if mixture is too thick. Bake at once. Serves 8 to 10.

Sour Milk Griddle Cakes

2 cups stale bread or bread crumbs

1 cup boiling water

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar

1 egg 1 1/2 cup sour milk .

1 tablespoon melted butter

Break bread in pieces and pour boiling water over it. When soft pour off surplus water, if any, and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients, mixed and sifted, then beaten egg, milk and butter. Beat thoroughly; bake on a hot, greased griddle. Serves 8 to 10.

Bread Griddle Cakes

1 1/2 cups stale bread crumbs 1 1/2 cups hot milk 2 eggs 1/2 cup flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter

(1 cup any cooked cereal may be used instead of bread crumbs)

Soften bread crumbs in hot milk; cool; add yolks of eggs, and add this liquid to dry ingredients, sifted together; cut and fold in whites of eggs and add melted butter last. Cook at once on a hot griddle. Serves 6 to 8.

Buckwheat Cakes

1 quart buckwheat flour 1/4 cup corn meal 1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons molasses 1/2 cake yeast 1/4 cup warm water

Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Mix buckwheat, corn meal, and salt. Add molasses and sufficient warm water to make a thin batter. Add yeast and beat well. Set in ]warm place and let rise over night. In the morning beat up well, and bake on a hot griddle. Serves 16 to 20.