08 Dec Ms. Crawford’s Tea Cakes
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Ms. Crawford’s Tea Cakes
- Cook Time: 7-9 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 30-36 Tea Cakes 1x
- Category: Cookies
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature (16 tablespoons of butter)
- 3 extra-large or jumbo eggs
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups of sugar
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
- Nutmeg to taste (1 teaspoon of fresh nutmeg)
Instructions
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl, and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium high or hand mixer for 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl after 5 minutes and beat 1 additional minute.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the extracts and mix well.
- With the mixer on the slowest speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and a little of the buttermilk, and mix gently just to combine. Repeat this process 2 times, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Remove from mixer, shape into a rectangle, and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill for at least one hour to overnight. Overnight is best. If chilled overnight remove from the fridge 5 minutes before rolling out.
- Pre heat oven to 400F
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut using a 3-3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, jelly jar, or drinking glass.
- Work with half the dough at a time keeping the rest of the dough refrigerated.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes. The tea cakes will look pale on top with slight browning on the edges.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest on cookie sheet for 1 minute.
- Move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in airtight container once cooled.
Notes
Teacakes can be frozen
Author: Black Restaurant Week
About Black Restaurant Week – Black Restaurant Week LLC is an annual, multi-city culinary movement celebrating the flavors of African, African-American and Caribbean cuisine nationwide. Black Restaurant Week partners with black-owned restaurants, chefs, caterers and food trucks to host a selection of culinary experiences aimed to expand awareness and increase support for black culinary professionals. The organization was founded in 2016 by entrepreneurs Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson. Connect with Black Restaurant Week on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
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Posted at 10:25h, 09 December[…] If no one in the family takes an interest in learning the recipe, share it with someone who does. Young people, if you don’t have anyone in your family to learn from, seek out an elder in your community who’s willing to teach. That’s how I came upon this recipe. […]
Myrtle
Posted at 15:53h, 09 DecemberWow that’s a lot of work
FRANCES M YOUNG
Posted at 16:27h, 09 Decemberty
Elaine Scott
Posted at 18:34h, 09 DecemberI’m wondering if the other half of the dough can be frozen until ready for use…Thx
Mamie Hicks
Posted at 21:04h, 09 DecemberCan’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing 😍
Black Restaurant Week
Posted at 17:50h, 13 DecemberNo better time than the holidays!
Karen Walker
Posted at 07:28h, 10 DecemberThis recipe sounds delicious
Black Restaurant Week
Posted at 17:50h, 13 DecemberTrust us, it is!
Julie Ta
Posted at 08:14h, 10 DecemberThanks for sharing! I have your same philosophy about recipes and am always happy to share when anyone asks. This was an interesting piece. I grew up in Dallas and still live here, and I love bakeries, cooking and baking, and exploring food and history, but I’ve never heard of these southern tea cakes. I’ll have to try making Ms. Crawford’s version soon.
Black Restaurant Week
Posted at 17:50h, 13 DecemberOh you must give them a try! Let us know how they turn out 🙂
April Pendleton
Posted at 13:05h, 11 DecemberOh my goodness Ms. Jada Smith, my cousins and I was just talking about how we hated that no one got our grandmother’s tea cake recipe before she went home to be with the Lord, and how hard it has been to find a good recipe. I am so grateful that you ran into someone who was willing to share a good tea cake recipe. I can’t wait to try it and share it with my cousins. Thank you for sharing. I look foreword to sharing Ms. Crawford’s recipe with the younger generation. I pray this recipe with never die. God Bless you and Ms. Crawford. Thank you again for sharing.
Black Restaurant Week
Posted at 17:47h, 13 DecemberThank you for sharing, April! We’re glad we can help connect people with great food and treasured recipes. Let us know how you and your family’s batches turn out!
Dolores Sigmon
Posted at 20:22h, 12 DecemberThank you for the information and recipe for tea cakes. I never knew much about their history but I do remember my grandma, who lived in Alabama, and a couple of my aunt made tea cakes when I was young. It’s always good to keep old recipes alive because if you don’t they will drop from history.
Black Restaurant Week
Posted at 17:41h, 13 DecemberAmen!
Cindy A Scott
Posted at 17:02h, 15 DecemberThank you so much for sharing the recipe. My grandma use to make them all the time and since she pass back in May of this year Tea Cake’s have been one thing of hers I want to keep going in the family.
Emil Åslund
Posted at 10:08h, 18 DecemberVal Taylor on Instagram brought me here. I’m interested in learning new recipies and this looks like a good one. I already have most of the ingredients and just need to translate the measuring system to the one that I’m used to.
Janet Sharpe
Posted at 20:45h, 19 DecemberThank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have not had a good tea cake in many years! Look forward to trying. Thank you for the history as well.