Raising the griddle cake with yeast is altogether obsolete with expert cooks. Mixtures of soda, saleratus, sour milk, buttermilk, etc., are likewise not permissible. Royal Baking Powder has altogether redeemed the griddle cake. It makes the cake light, tender, digestible, and its preparation and baking are the work of a moment only.
Royal Baking Powder, plain, sweet milk, flour, and a little salt make a food fit for a feast. What so simple, so easily prepared? Eggs are altogether unessential.
The batter must be thin, the cakes made small and not too thick,—about a good ⅛ inch thick when baked,—browned, and neatly turned. The griddle must be merely rubbed with grease, not grease-soaked. This is highly important. Take a thick piece of salt pork on a fork, or a lump of suet in a piece of cheese-cloth, and rub lightly over the hot griddle and pour the batter on immediately.
Remember that buckwheat is one of the most difficult flours to lighten. Where it enters into combination with other materials this fact must be recognized and a somewhat larger proportion of Royal Baking Powder allowed. Made in the manner directed in these receipts buckwheat cakes can be safely and profusely eaten by every one.
Royal Wheat Cakes.—This is the best plain hot griddle cake without eggs. The cakes will be light, tender, and healthful. 1 quart flour, 3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon salt. Sift well together and add sweet milk to make into a soft batter. Bake immediately on hot griddle. Should be full ⅛ inch thick when baked. Smother with butter and maple syrup or honey.
Griddle Cakes with Eggs.—3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well together, add 2 well-beaten eggs and sufficient sweet milk to make a thin drop batter. Bake at once on a hot, well-greased griddle. Make them thin.
Graham Griddle Cakes.—1 pint Graham flour, ½ pint Indian corn meal, ½ pint flour, 1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 egg, ½ pint each of milk and water. Sift together Graham flour, corn meal, flour, sugar, salt, and powder. Add beaten egg, milk, and water. Mix together into a smooth batter. Heat griddle hot, pour batter into cakes as large as a tea saucer. Bake brown on one side, carefully turn and brown other side. Pile one on the other, serve very hot, with sugar, milk, cream, or maple syrup.
Rye Griddle Cakes.—1 pint rye flour, ½ pint Graham flour, ½ pint flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 egg, 1 pint milk. Sift together rye flour, Graham flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder, add beaten egg and milk, mix into smooth batter. Bake deep brown color on hot griddle.
Geneva Griddle Cakes.—1½ pints flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 2 tablespoons butter, 4 eggs, nearly ½ pint milk. Rub butter and sugar to white, light cream; add yolks of eggs, 1 at a time. Sift flour, salt, and powder together; add to butter, etc., with milk and egg whites whipped to dry froth; mix together into a smooth batter. Bake in small cakes; as soon as brown, turn and brown the other side. Have buttered baking-tin; fast as browned, lay them on it, and spread raspberry jam over them; then bake more, which lay on others already done. Repeat this until you have used jam twice, then bake another batch, which use to cover them. Sift sugar plentifully over them, place in a moderate oven to finish cooking.
Three-Egg Griddle Cakes.—3 cups milk, 2 heaping cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 eggs, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Mix as for plain griddle cakes, adding whites and yolks of eggs beaten separately.