Are you searching for a simple, but special, cookie perfect for a tea party, an edible gift or the holiday season?
Southern Tea Cakes are lovely served at a tea party and also make a delightful addition to your Christmas cookie tray. Or make up a few batches to give as gifts to friends and neighbors.
Tea Cakes are a staple in the South. Since plantation days, they were served at tea parties, taken on long trips and given as gifts at Christmas time.
There are hundreds if not thousands of variations of the recipe. Some use buttermilk, some sour cream. Some add a hint of citrus. Many have a pinch of nutmeg. All have a soft texture, somewhere between a cookie and a biscuit, and are lightly sweet.
I opted for buttermilk and nutmeg. The buttermilk adds a lovely tang and tenderizes the cookies. The nutmeg gives it a lovely taste of the holidays.
Christmas Cookies Week
Jolene from Jolene's Recipe Journal loves Christmas Cookies as much as I do. She has gathered up a fabulous group of bloggers to celebrate Christmas Cookies Week.
We've got new recipes coming every day for you to fill up that cookie tray.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ΒΌ teaspoon baking soda
- Β½ teaspoon salt
- ΒΌ teaspoon ground nutmeg (preferably fresh ground)
- Β½ cup butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ΒΌ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla.
- Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just smooth. Divide dough in half, shape it into circles and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 375β and line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Sprinkle a flat surface with flour. Roll out one disk to ΒΌ-inch thickness. Cut with a 1Β½ inch biscuit cutter. Place circles on baking sheet 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining disk.
- Bake at 375β until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.. Cool for 1 minute on the pan then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Sound fabulous? Share it!
More Christmas Cookies
Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
The buttermilk in these sounds delicious. A great balance to the sweetness of the cookie. Can't wait to give these a try this holiday season!
Christie
I don't remember having tea cakes growing up, but we didn't attend a lot of southern functions after moving. And maybe I did have them and just don't remember. But I'll trying these soon! Especially with the buttermilk and nutmeg options.