Make the milk quite warm, and then put into it the yeast and salt, stirring them well. Beat the eggs, and stir them into the mixture. Then, gradually stir in the flour and indian meal.
Cover the batter, and set it to rise four or five hours. Or if the weather is cold, and you want the cakes for breakfast, you may mix the batter late the night before.
Should you find it sour in the morning, dissolve a small tea-spoonful of pearl-ash in as much water as will cover it, and stir it into the batter, letting it set afterwards at least half an hour. This will take off the acid.
Grease your baking-iron, and pour on it a ladle-full of the batter. When brown on one side, turn the cake on the other. [Footnote: Indian batter cakes may be made in a plain and expeditious way, by putting three pints of cold water or cold milk into a pan, and gradually sifting into it (stirring all the time) a quart of indian meal mixed with half a pint of wheat-flour, and a small spoonful of salt. Stir it very hard, and it may be baked immediately, as it is not necessary to set it to rise.]
FLANNEL CAKES OR CRUMPETS.
Two pounds of flour, sifted.
Four eggs.
Three table-spoonfuls of the best brewer's yeast, or four and a
half of home-made yeast.
A pint of milk.
Mix a tea-spoonful of salt with the flour, and set the pan before the fire. Then warm the milk, and stir into it the flour so as to make a stiff batter. Beat the eggs very light, and stir them into the yeast. Add the eggs and yeast to the batter, and beat all well together. If it is too stiff, add a little more warm milk.
Cover the pan closely and set it to rise near the fire. Bake it, when quite light.
Have your baking-iron hot. Grease it, and pour on a ladle-full of batter. Let it bake slowly, and when done on one side, turn it on the other.
Butter the cakes, cut them across, and send them to table hot.