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Gondorian Griddle Cookies
These sweet biscuits might have been a staple of the Gondorian Ranger, as they are similar to Elven Lembas Bread in function. Cooked on a griddle, these “cookies” are really little pancakes with a touch of sweetness to them. They are “pocket-sized” and can be carried by workers in the field or troops on the march.
Let us think back for a moment to the early days of the Age of Men, and check in with our friends in Gondor:
So many dreamy Gondorian Rangers, so little time! But our slayer of the Witch King and Princess of Rohan, Eowyn, has taken one of the best of the lot off the market – Faramir. Faramir may have been able to resist the powers of The One Ring, but his love for The White Lady smote him, leaving him powerless to resist her.
Renowned for her valor as well as her beauty, she could now settle in to a traditional life as wife and mother. albeit a royal one. But alas, fair Eowyn was no domestic goddess and there were no more wars to fight. Skilled with a blade and the art of war, yet she was unschooled in the simple tools and traditions of the culinary arts. Even this simple staple of the Ranger’s rucksack was a challenge for her to master.
But master it she would! She could have left the cooking to the servants, but this is not her style. With their help, she learned the domestic arts and became a fully rounded woman, which gave her great pleasure although Faramir could not have loved her the more. She delighted to host their dear Hobbit friends when they came for long visits. And yet she rode out with the company when The King sent Faramir off on a diplomatic mission. It is quite possible that she perfected the Gondorian Griddle Cookie while on one of these journeys under Faramir’s patient tutelage.
Now back to the recipe!
The dough is not runny like pancake batter yet it is softer than a typical cookie dough and firm enough to roll out and cut into shapes. When camping or on a long journey, wrap them in Mallorn leaves to keep them fresher. Today you will have to rely upon a specialty store to procure your Mallorn leaves, which come in the form of parchment paper cutouts. Here are some ideas for dressing up your Gondorian Griddle Cookies:- Dip them in melted butter mixed with honey or brown sugar.
- Make Gondorian S’Mores by putting a bit of chocolate on top when you turn it over, then have your toasted marshmallow at the ready. Or use Nutella instead of the chocolate candy.
- Mix crushed nuts or fruit into the batter before cooking.
- Make a mini Trifle: Place one cookie in a glass bowl, pour a splash of rum (or other liquor) over it - not TOO much (about half a tablespoon) or it will disintegrate - then spoon on vanilla pudding, add sliced bananas (or other fruit), now add a gooey topping like hot fudge, place another cookie on top, another splash of rum, some more pudding, and top with whipped cream and a cherry!
- Bananas Gondor anyone? Brown sugar and butter and rum simmered together and drizzled on top! Yum! Don’t forget the whipped cream!
It’s the time of the season for…
Dwarven Women’s Pumpkin Cake!
We are certain that the hardy Dwarven men finished off one of these delectable mini-bundts in one bite – no forks required!
I tend to think of Dwarven women as clones of “Master Dwarf” Gimli. The Dwarf himself hinted at the similarities! But since we have met no Dwarven women, what can we know about them?
Well, if we consider the Dwarves’ artistry as creators of the ancient city Dwarrowdelf, then it may stand to reason the women were also artisans when it came to cave-keeping. One imagines great feasts would await the workers at the end of a day digging for Mithril. Gimli was expecting to celebrate with his cousin Balin with “red meat off the bone and malt beer!”
Certainly the Dwarven race was used to hearty fare, or how else to maintain those stout physiques? Not that the women were confined to the kitchens of Moria! Many surely took up a chisel and hammer along-side the men!
In honor of the creativity of the Dwarves I used a mini-bundt cake form with the result being a cake with an arch pattern and a hole in the middle for that important cave effect.
I further changed up the recipe by drenching the cakes in a ginger chai pear sauce with a dusting of powdered sugar. This recipe made six mini-bundts and one tort size cake which I topped with sliced fresh pears, then covered in the pear sauce made into a gel to hold it all together. That picture will soon appear on my other blog where you will also find the sauce recipe.
And the winner is:
Rumble’s Somersault Cobbler!
Our family favorite is blackberry, but peaches are in season. Use the link above to find the recipe. Best eaten warm a la mode.
The picture at right is just before baking — the last instruction is dot with butter and cover with very hot/boiling water. You might think it is too much water but this is important! This is what makes the bottom of the cake like a pudding – which is THE PRECIOUS – most irresistible!
I had to tweek the recipe, of course. Now that I’m more comfortable with the flavor of ginger I added a sprinkle of the spice all over the top – maybe a teaspoon all told. I also always grate fresh nutmeg over the top, about 10 swipes of the nut as you move across the dish if using a double recipe. This one was doubled in a 9 x 13 glass dish. I bake at a slightly lower temp than the posted recipe – 375 F- and check it at 30 minutes. The double recipe took a total of 40 minutes for the result pictured at right. 
Light brown is all you want on the cake or you will lose the moisture and that is what creates THE PRECIOUS. It can bubble over the sides and make a mess in the oven, so be sure to use a baking dish large enough to allow for about an inch and a half from the top.
I am certain that Rumble or Mrs. Rumble takes the blue ribbon at the Shire Folk Fair every year with this entry, barely edging out Rosie Gamgee’s Eldarberry tarts.
They must have stolen this recipe from my mother’s personal recipe box! Mom’s memory and organizational skills are a little challenged at age 89, so she cannot confirm nor deny the source! But I baked this at home since I was a little kid, and one day I lost that recipe. So I thought maybe I could google it.
To my amazement, there it was, almost exactly the way she had written it down in her book (we call it Somersault Cake) in the Middle-earth Recipes at The Fellowship of Middle-earth (formerly the Official LOTR Fan Club). Since there was barely color TV back in my mom’s day when she obtained this recipe, let alone a WWW, we’ll let you do the numbers as to who has the rights to this one! I believe it came from the Wallowa Oregon Grange Cookbook back in the 1940s. But come to think of it, if this recipe originated in Middle-earth, then it is quite ancient and far older than the internet or the modern age of men! (See the note on this coincidence on the “About” page!)
Suffice to say it is one of those “best things I ever ate” treats that will be gone in one sitting, even it you’re the only one at the dining table!
