I made these tea cakes for the birthday of my wonderful mother-in-law, Angie. We usually give her edible gifts, so I asked my daughter (and Pointes of Flavor photographer) Rachel to ask her grandmother if there were any cookies from her childhood she loved. She told Rachel her mother made tea cakes with walnuts or pecans and occasionally nutmeg. To replicate her mother’s cookies, I developed this recipe, which Angie assured us were just like what her mom used to make.
In addition to hot tea, these tea cakes may be enjoyed with iced tea or lemonade. The cakey texture combined with the fragrant vanilla, nutmeg and crunchy pecans makes these tea cakes a must try for bakers of all ages!
Equipment:
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Classic Southern Tea Cakes
This recipe was created to create the tea cakes made by my mother-in-law’s mother when she was growing up in rural Louisiana.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well to combine, creating a fluffy mixture.
- Add eggs to mixture, 1 at a time, mixing until blended after each egg is added. Add vanilla extract, beating until blended.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Add pecans and mix until blended evenly in dough. Dough will be very sticky at his point. Divide dough in half; wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour. Chilling the dough will reduce stickiness but adding flour will also help to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.
- Once dough is chilled, use a rolling pin to roll out dough on lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies with a 2 ½ -inch round cutter (the size of a biscuit cutter), and place 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges begin to slightly brown; let stand on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer tea cakes to wire racks to cool. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.
Classic Southern Tea Cakes
This recipe was created to create the tea cakes made by my mother-in-law’s mother when she was growing up in rural Louisiana.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well to combine, creating a fluffy mixture.
- Add eggs to mixture, 1 at a time, mixing until blended after each egg is added. Add vanilla extract, beating until blended.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Add pecans and mix until blended evenly in dough. Dough will be very sticky at his point. Divide dough in half; wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour. Chilling the dough will reduce stickiness but adding flour will also help to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.
- Once dough is chilled, use a rolling pin to roll out dough on lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies with a 2 ½ -inch round cutter (the size of a biscuit cutter), and place 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges begin to slightly brown; let stand on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer tea cakes to wire racks to cool. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.