Dinner & A Book

This is essentially a baked hush puppy.  The base recipe is rather plain but it was good food for the trail as it kept well, was certainly more palatable than hard tack, and was easy to prepare in bulk.

• 2 cups yellow corn meal (feel free to substitute blue or red cornmeal, white cornmeal can be used but as it ground to a finer texture the results are not quite as satisfactory)
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Combine all ingredients except the baking powder and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring frequently.  Once the mixture boils, take it off the heat, let it cool for 5 minutes and then stir in the baking powder.  Place heaping spoonfuls (if you like form them into patties or spheres) on a baking sheet or in a Dutch oven and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees or until they begin to brown around the edges.  

While corn dodgers will not be the centerpiece of a meal, they can still be dressed up with butter or cheese for a quick snack.  Used like a biscuit for a breakfast sandwich with bacon, ham, or eggs.  Or used to thicken a soup or stew.  Cowboys were not known for their fastidiousness.  They simply wanted something warm, tasty, and filling after a hard day on the trail.