Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until crisp (35 to 45 minutes). When making muffins, preheat the pan for 20 minutes in the oven, add 1/2 teaspoon shortening to the bottom of each muffin cup just before pouring the batter into the cast iron muffin pan.

Total time 45 to 55 minutes. Muffins, 30 minutes. (Preparation Time: 10 minutes).

Makes 2 thin cakes about 8-inches in diameter or 12 muffins.

Variations: Use more cornmeal, making a thicker cake. Or use less water. Some cooks like to use a little milk - about 2 tablespoons. Or milk may be used in place of water, in which case it is cooked with the meal and salt in double boiler or microwave, stirring often until thick (6 to 8 minutes).

This is often called Corncake, which is a more correct name for it than Ash Cake.

Many add sugar and beaten egg, but it is then no longer the original dish.

PONES: Pones are sometimes enriched by the addition of sugar or molasses, spice (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, grated orange peel) and melted butter.

Apple Pone is made by using 3 cups chopped apple (raw), 3 cups cornmeal, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Potato and Sweet Potato (Yam) Pone: Grate the Yam/Sweet Potato like with the apple.

Pumpkin Pone. Used stewed pumpkin like apple.

Variation: Omit egg. Increase shortening to 3 tablespoons and add 3 teaspoons baking powder. Instead of boiling water use milk. Instead of sugar use 1/2 cup molasses and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. A little less water may be needed.

Bake in a preheated 425°F oven until bread begins to brown (about 25 minutes).

Serve hot or cold, cut in 2-inch squares. It is much better hot. Total time 55 minutes. (Preparation Time: 5 minutes).

Makes 1 loaf.

Variation 1. Mix quickly, omitting water. The other variations are many, and these are a few suggestions which you are free to experiment with:

Liquid. Use buttermilk, increasing shortening to 3 tablespoons. Or use sour cream, Kefir, or yogurt, omitting shortening. Flour. Use 1 cup cornmeal and 1 cup wheat, buckwheat, whole wheat or graham flour, or 1 cup cooked hominy grits or rice. Or use 1/3 cornmeal and 1/3 of each of any of the others.

Spider Corn Bread takes only 1 1/2 cups cornmeal. Omit shortening from mixture, melt it in hot spider, cast iron pan or griddle and pour in mixture.

Bake on top of stove over medium low heat baked through with golden edges (30 to 35 minutes). If a browned top is desired, when done brush top with butter, turn and brown (1 to 2 minutes). This can be baked in a pan in the oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Sugar. Omit sugar or increase up to 1/4 cup. Or use molasses - up to 1/4 cup.

Shortening. Use more shortening to make a richer loaf - 2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup. Use 2 eggs.

Eggs. Use 2 eggs, reducing baking powder to 3 teaspoons or 3 eggs with 3 teaspoons baking powder. Quick Bread Method 2 is good for this (Soft Cornbread). Or omit egg in any variation, adding 1/2 cup milk and 1 tablespoon shortening, and increasing baking powder to 2 tablespoons.

Pumpkin. Add 2 cups cooked pumpkin pulp. Bake in 2 large layer cake pans.

Apple. Add 1 cup chopped (raw) apple.