Recipe: Southern Tea Cakes and Sugar Cookies (Tea Cakes) for Hank, Al

Hi Hank:-) I found these two recipes on the internet. I have not tried either recipe. I hope one of these is similar to what you are looking for.

Southern Tea Cakes
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Yield: 6 to 8 dozen

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder together. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Dough should be soft. Roll dough out onto a floured surface until approximately 1/4-inch thick. Cut dough into desired shapes and bake on a slightly greased sheet for 10 to 12 minutes.

SUGAR COOKIES ("TEA CAKES")

"My fondest memories of growing up in the South are of times spent with my Alabama grandmother, Gorda Dyson," says Sandra Crook of Jacksonville, Florida. "In the afternoon we would retire to the front porch, sip iced tea, and eat traditional English biscuits, which we called tea cakes. She would tell me stories of her youth, and I felt so grown-up and special. I hope you enjoy the recipe."

2 1/2 cups self-rising White Lily or cake flour
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
11/2 cups sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Put flour in a bowl and make a well in center. Beat together butter and sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla until blended.

Add butter mixture to flour and rub it into flour with your fingertips just until dough comes together in a ball (do not overwork dough, or it will be tough). 3Halve dough and work with 1 half at a time. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out cookies with a floured cutter (we used a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter), arranging cookies, as cut, 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Reroll scraps once, using as little flour as possible, and cut out more cookies.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until very pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute, then transfer to a rack to cool 5 minutes if serving warm, or to cool completely.

Cooks' notes:
If your kitchen is very warm, you may need to chill dough to keep it from sticking to work surface.

Cookies keep in an airtight container 1 week.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen (3-inch)

Gourmet
Sugar and Spice
May 2000
Sandra Crook, Jacksonville, Fl