"Shortenin' Bread" song - origin?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve done a search, looking for the origins of this song. I was finally able to come up with the lyrics, which I’ll paste in below, but could not determine if this is an actual old folk tune or a later “Tin Pan Alley” invention to show how homey the colored folk were. Does anyone know the history of this song? I love it, because it is a song about cooking, and I sing a cleaned-up version of it whenever I get out my bread machine.

Warning: This song is not politically correct by today’s standards.

SHORTENIN’ BREAD

Put on de skillet, put on de led
Mammy’s gonna make a little shortenin’ bread
That ain’t all she gonna do
Mammy’s gonna make a little coffee, too

Chorus:
Mammy’s little baby loves shortenin’, shortenin’,
Mammy’s little baby loves shortenin’ bread.
Two little niggers lyin’ in de bed
One of ‘em sick an de odder ‘mos dead
I sent for de doctor, de doctor said
Feed dem chillun’ on shortenin’ bread.
(Chorus)

Slipped in de kitchen, kicked off de led,
Filled my pockets full o’ shortenin’ bread.
I stole de skillet, stole de led,
Stole da gal makin’ shortenin’ bread.
(Chorus)

2

This probably doesn’t help much, but Paul Chaplain and his Emeralds had a top-ten hit with a version of the song in 1960. I am sure the song itself is much older than that, though.

3

The song really lends itself to the fiddle, so I’m guessing it started out as a fiddle tune, with words added later.

Sorry, I can’t back it up.

4

Oh yeah: I’d be willing to bet it has early American folk origins, and that it was popularized in 19th century minstrel shows.

Still can’t back that up, though…