Hard Tack
( * Note. This recipe has been updated for modern
OVEN -- otherwise, ingredients remain the same. )
5 Cups unbleached, all purpose flour
1 Tbs salt
1 to 1 2/3 Cups water
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Combine ingredients. Add water until you can form a firm ball. Keep dough from sticking to your hands by adding more flour. If it gets too dry, add more water. Roll out on a well-floured surface. If dough sticks to rolling pin, sprinkle with more flour. Roll dough to approx. half-inch thickness. Cut dough into bite size squares and poke with holes. Place on baking sheet or tin and place in oven. Bake until lightly browned, which should be roughly 20 minutes. Remove. Let cool before eating.
Breakfast Puffs
These are made very quickly and easily. Two cups of flour, add one saltspoonful of salt, two cups of milk, two eggs, the white and beaten; mix in the order given, and bake in a hot oven about thirty minutes.
Johnnycake
3/4 cup milk
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. lard, melted
1 tsp. salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal
3 tsps. sugar
Combine milk, water, beaten eggs, melted lard and salt in a mixing bowl. Add cornmeal and sugar and mix well. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto hot greased skillet. Fry on each side until browned, about 2 minutes. Serve with syrup and butter.
Corn Bread Stuffing
1 onion, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced celery
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon rosemary
3/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 pound water chestnuts, sliced
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 cups day-old corn bread, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth or turkey stock
Sauté the minced onion, garlic and diced celery in 1/4 cup of the butter for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and herbs and sauté for 5 more minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl and add the parsley, water chestnuts, wild rice, pine nuts, salt, pepper and corn bread. Add the broth, tossing with your hands to thoroughly mix ingredients. The mixture should be only very slightly moist.
Place stuffing in a 9-by-13-inch greased pan. Cover (with aluminum foil), and bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons melted butter.
