Henry's Tea Cakes

This past week I decided to make tea cakes!  This is a favorite recipe in my family. They are yummy and not to sweet.  Unfortunately, the next day I found out that I had strep throat so they were deemed eat at your own risk strep laced tea cakes!  I would suggest not making them when sick but any way you make them they are delicious! 



We use my great-grandmothers recipe that my grandmother remembers from her childhood. I never met my Great-Grandmother Henry but I have been told she was always whipping up clothes for my grandmother and her four sisters.  They often when to town and saw outfits they liked.  The girls would come home and describe it to their mother and out would come the newspaper.  Soon she had the dresses complete.  So please enjoy her yummy slightly sweet treat!

Henry's Tea Cake Recipe
(7 dozen)

2 little eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk or sweet milk
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)
8-10 cups all purpose flour (I used about 6 1/2-7)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix eggs, butter, milk, baking soda, sugar, baking powder and vanilla together.  I used my kitchen aid stand mixer but as soon as I started adding flour I wished I had just done it in a big bowl with the electric mixer or by hand. 

Add in 6 cups of flour.  Keep adding flour as needed.  The trick is to get it to sugar cookie texture with out over mixing or adding to much flour. 

Roll out dough and cut out cookies.  I just used a cup as a cookie cutter and made about 3" cookies total I had 5 1/2 dozen.  The cookies are not really sweet so actually I will make smaller cookies next time. 

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 min.  The bottoms will become light brown if the tops are browned then they are over cooked.  Sprinkle sugar on top or if you are like us mix up some butter cream frosting to top the cookies. 

These are great with coffee or tea.  They actually whip up really quick and are super yummy!