Johnny Cakes Made Easy! (And Good:) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup stone ground cornmeal (white or yellow)
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
milk
butter (or bacon drippings or oil or fat)

Preparation

Whisk together cornmeal, salt and sugar (if used).
Bring water to a boil and pour over the meal mixture, whisking to prevent lumps. Let the batter rest 10 minutes.
Butter a large skillet or griddle and bring it to about 375 degrees, just to a sizzle (do not burn the butter).
Add enough milk (1/2 to a cup) to the batter to make it the consistency of mashed potatoes, and drop by spoonfuls to make cakes about 2 or 3 inches wide and several inches apart (they will spread).
Let the cakes gently sizzle on the grill for about 6 minutes or as long as 11 minutes until you bring them to a deep golden brown on the bottom and slightly firm on the top, before turning them over.
Add some more butter to the griddle, and/or place a thin pat of butter on each cake, before turning them over and cooking for another 6 minutes (or longer) until they are a deep golden brown color.
Serve with butter and and honey, or maple syrup.