Original Family Recipe For Tea Cakes From 1800s

GRANDMOTHER'S OLD-TIME TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Mix shortening and sugar together with pastry blender or two forks.
• Combine eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into shortening/sugar mixture.
• Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder together.
• Sift dry ingredients in with wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dough should be the correct consistancy to roll, so you may need to add or decrease the dry ingredients as necessary.
• Place dough on lightly floured board or pastry cloth and roll out to approximately 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut cookies with round cookie cutter (my grandmother used a 2-inch biscuit cutter) and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until just beginning to brown. Don't overcook!
• Store in a covered tin or plastic container.

GRANDMA'S OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; stir into the creamed mixture. Knead dough for a few turnns on a floured board until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

TEA CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture (the dough will be soft). , Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy.
• Stir in the baking powder Dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk.
• Stir into the creamed mixture.
• Add the salt and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour gradually until a soft dough forms.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Press with a damp cloth wrapped around the bottom of a glass.
• Bake at 350*F for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on wire racks.

ORIGINAL FAMILY RECIPE FOR TEA CAKES (FROM 1800'S)

Steps:

• 1. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time and stir after each one.
• 2. Dissolve baking soda in sour milk and add this to the mixture.
• 3. Add enough flour to make dough stiff enough to dump on floured board. Knead in more flour until you can roll the dough out and cut out tea cakes. Bake and cool.
• 4. Modern day instructions not included in original recipe: Place on cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.