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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Mammaw's Tea Cakes



It's funny how words get misheard and preserved, especially among close-knit cultural groups. I was looking for this recipe in the box of recipes my wife inherited from her Mammaw Jenny. This recipe for old-fashioned Tea Cakes (the kind you have at tea time if you're British, was in an old newspaper clipping along with a recipe for cornmeal pie. It was listed as a recipe for old-fashioned "T" cakes. Not sure what the local newspaper thought the "T" stood for. There was another recipe by someone named Miranda for a "Sheith" cake - or a sheet cake as it is known throughout the rest of the world.  So T-cakes or Tea Cakes, whatever you want to call them, these are a great party cookie that's not very sweet, but just right for a little snack or a light dessert after a big old potluck.

Mammaw's Old Fashioned Tea Cakes


Ingredients:
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix all ingredients well
  3. Roll dough thin
  4. Cut out cookies with a cookie cutter 
  5. Place cookies evenly on an ungreased cookie sheet
  6. Bake until cookies are a light golden brown. Do not overcook.
Note:

You can also spoon the batter onto a cookie sheet. The original recipe also suggests using an insulated cookie sheet. I like to bake them till they crisp and turn darker around the edges.  These are very simple and come out like a cross between a cake and a cookie. Very civilized for a simple something to go with a warm drink or iced drinks. You can even substitute Truvia for sugar and lower the calories even further.

© 2016 by Tom King

1 comment:

  1. Tea cakes are a nice light cookie suitable for providing something not too sweet and a little crunchy for a workshop break or as a light dessert for people who overdid the pot luck. Also a nice combo with pudding or Jello. You can also substitute Truvia for sugar and reduce the calories even further.

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