Spiders!!!

Before there were stoves and ovens in most homes in early America, everyone had a fireplace. In place of ovens, there were dutch ovens, and spiders, the cast iron 3 legged covered pots, much like the dutch oven.

New Englanders were known for being frugal, and virtually nothing went to waste. This recipe is thought to have developed from using scraps of everything left in the kitchen, for a treat. Note: I'm not at all convinced about the flour, as that was such a rare thing to have left over, but some form of this could have been the basis.

New England Spider Cake

2 cups milk
4 teaspoons white vinegar (or substitute 2 1/4 cups buttermilk for milk and vinegar)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Combine the milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside to sour (wait 5 to 10 minutes -- you'll see the milk get lumpy).
• In another bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
• Whisk eggs into the soured milk (or buttermilk).
• Stir into dry ingredients and set batter aside. Batter will be real thin, more like pancake batter, not like a cake or cornbread.\
• Melt butter in a 10 or 12 inch cast-iron skillet. Turn up the heat on the skillet.
• Pour batter into the hot skillet.  You want to have the bottom 'set'.
• Turn off the skillet.
• Pour cream into center in a steady stream. This will form a layer on top of the batter. Don't mix it in!
• Slide the skillet into the oven and bake until golden brown on top, about 45 minutes. Make sure there is enough room in the skillet or pan to hold all the dough and cream as it cooks. This will expand and possibly overflow if filled too high. You may want to put a sheet pan under it to catch any spillage.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes.
• Slice into wedges and serve warm.