My grandmother used to make cookies that she called tea cakes. They had butter, sugar, and flour of course, and were flavored either with vanilla or lemon, depending on what she had. They were a drop cookie, and she stored them in a cloth bag hung from a nail on the wall. Does this cookie sound familiar to anyone? I would like to have the recipe. She apparently never wrote it down.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), April 14, 2000

Answers

Congratulations, you came to the right place. My grandmother also made tea cakes although she rolled them out. She also never wrote the recipe down as she did everything out of her head. This recipe comes out of a book from 1906 called Encyclopedia for the Home. Tea Cakes: 1/2C. butter 1/2C. sour milk 1 egg(if convenient) 1C.sugar 1/3tsp soda Flavor or spice to suit. Flour sufficient to roll out. Cut with large-sized cutter in cakes, 3/4inch thick. Bake. Serve warm. If in haste, stir up with flour to the thickness of graham gems and bake in gem irons or muffin rings. Set in buttered dripping-pan.

I typed this as it is written. These are very good. I think I'll make some myself today. This cookbook is really wonderful and I would be happy to share more very unusual recipes if anyone is interested.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), April 14, 2000.

Oh, this really brings back memories. My Mama used cane syrup instead of sugar, and no flavoring or eggs. She mixed it all by hand and pinched them off like biscuits. I liked to eat them after they were cold. YUMMY. Cathy

-- cathy (cathywil@prairie.lakes.com), April 20, 2000.

Wow, do this bring back memories. My grandmother used to make them whenever we came to visit, I hadn't thought about them in quite a while. I think my mom still has a recipe, I'll have to get it and make myself a batch.

It was a treat to have teacakes and a glass of sweet tea...

j

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), April 21, 2000.