Old Fashioned Tea Cakes and Other Delights for Tea Party

donna

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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May 12, 2010
Location
Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
tea.JPG
Pre war subjects, ladies at tea, illustrating the past time of reading each other's tea leaves. Husbands, sweethearts, future children or general dreams of the future would be discerned in the soggy mass at the bottom of one's china cup. ' Tea ' was time for a lot of things.

This recipe for Old Fashioned Tea Cakes is from old Woodford Kentucky family. These are delightful to serve at your afternoon tea.

1 cup lard
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon soda
Flour enough for a dough that rolls easily
Flavor with nutmeg

Combine ingredients as given. Roll and cut with cookie cutter; may be centered with a nut or raisin. Bake in moderate oven. Makes 100 cookies.

Perfect for large tea party.
 
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Russian Tea Balls

This is another old Woodford County recipe. It is also perfect to serve with your tea.

1 cup butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup nuts

Cream butter. Add sugar, salt and flour. Add vanilla and nuts. Drop from spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done. Roll in powdered sugar when slightly cool.
 
One of my favorite scones to serve with tea. This old recipe is from "Kentucky Utilities News".

2 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg. beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon shredded orange rind
1 quart sweetened strawberries
whipped cream

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut or rub in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Combine egg and milk and add to flour mixture, mixing until flour is moistened. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead gently 30 seconds. Roll out to rectangle 8 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and orange rind. Roll up like jelly roll, sealing edge. Cut into 1 inch slices. Bake cut side down on ungreased baking sheet in hot oven (425 degrees) about 15 minutes. Serve with strawberries and whipped cream. Makes about 8 servings.
 
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Russian Tea Balls

This is another old Woodford County recipe. It is also perfect to serve with your tea.

1 cup butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup nuts

Cream butter. Add sugar, salt and flour. Add vanilla and nuts. Drop from spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done. Roll in powdered sugar when slightly cool.
I have seen this under manny different names,as each culture appears to have their own.
 
Pre war subjects, ladies at tea, illustrating the past time of reading each other's tea leaves. Husbands, sweethearts, future children or general dreams of the future would be discerned in the soggy mass at the bottom of one's china cup. ' Tea ' was time for a lot of things.

How delightful! I love this picture and the whole concept of "Tea."

"If mysteries should be revealed to you, question them if you will, but cherish and keep the Gypsy’s secret."

- Princess Romana
 
RITUAL
Put a pinch of tea leaves in the cup and pour boiling water over them, allowing it to stand about three minutes. Drink the contents of the cup leaving tea leaves and a very small amount of liquid in the bottom. TeaReading.jpg

MEANING OF SYMBOLS


acorn.jpgACORN—Continued health—improved health.

anchor.jpgANCHOR—Lucky symbol. Success in business or in love. If blurred or indistinct just the reverse.

heart.jpgHEART—A lover. If close to a ring, marriage to the present lover. If indistinct, the lover is fickle.

heavenly.jpgHEAVENLY BODIES—(Sun, Moon, Star)—Good luck—great happiness and success.

owl.jpgOWL—Indicates sickness or poverty. Warning against starting a new venture.

palmtree.jpgPALM TREE —Good omen. Success in any undertaking. Single people learn of marriage. MOON (crescent)—Prosperity, fame. If cloudy, difficulties will be solved.

elephant.jpgELEPHANT—Good Luck—good health—happiness.

traingles.jpgTRIANGLES—Unexpected good fortune.

birds.jpgBIRDS—Good Luck. If flying, good news from the direction it comes. If at rest a fortunate journey.


Source: The Tea Association of the USA
 
The Legend of the Teacake (excerpted from Mountain Jim's Tennessee Teacakes website)

It is said that during the Civil War in antebellum Tennessee, a young Southern belle was renown for her beauty and cooking prowess. Although she was only 17, she had perfected family recipes which had been in the family for generations. Her teacakes in particular were known throughout the Southern region. When the Civil War started, food shortages were everywhere, thus food supplies beyond the basics were rarely available.

However, her brother, a Confederate major, brought home a young Captain Confederate officer home to Tennessee to visit. The young Captain's birthday happened during his visit. Southern belles were supposed to be admired not only for their beauty, but their baking as well. The girl was smitten with the young officer, and wanted to bake a cake for the visiting captain for his birthday. She found she didn't have enough ingredients for a regular size cake due to the war rationing, so she instead made small tea cakes. When the war ended, the captain returned to Tennessee and married the young lady.
 
I grew up (in the South) eating my mother's teacakes, a recipe almost identical to the first posting above, only hers containing vegetable shortening. It had been handed down from her mother, and going back many generations to the Old Country.
 
With the Russian Tea Balls you need to serve Russian Tea.

1 quart hot water
1 cup sugar
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice
1 quart cold water
juice of 2 lemons
juice of 1 orange

Tie spices in cheesecloth bag and boil for 5 minutes in sugar and water. Add cold water and juice of lemon and orange. This will serve 12.

An old Woodford County, Kentucky recipe.
 
With the Russian Tea Balls you need to serve Russian Tea.

1 quart hot water
1 cup sugar
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice
1 quart cold water
juice of 2 lemons
juice of 1 orange

Tie spices in cheesecloth bag and boil for 5 minutes in sugar and water. Add cold water and juice of lemon and orange. This will serve 12.

An old Woodford County, Kentucky recipe.
Cloves and allspice makes this sound more like a treat to have after you come in from the ski slopes.
 
The Legend of the Teacake (excerpted from Mountain Jim's Tennessee Teacakes website)

It is said that during the Civil War in antebellum Tennessee, a young Southern belle was renown for her beauty and cooking prowess. Although she was only 17, she had perfected family recipes which had been in the family for generations. Her teacakes in particular were known throughout the Southern region. When the Civil War started, food shortages were everywhere, thus food supplies beyond the basics were rarely available.

However, her brother, a Confederate major, brought home a young Captain Confederate officer home to Tennessee to visit. The young Captain's birthday happened during his visit. Southern belles were supposed to be admired not only for their beauty, but their baking as well. The girl was smitten with the young officer, and wanted to bake a cake for the visiting captain for his birthday. She found she didn't have enough ingredients for a regular size cake due to the war rationing, so she instead made small tea cakes. When the war ended, the captain returned to Tennessee and married the young lady.

What a fun story - I hope it's more than just a legend! Though I imagine all women in the South had to get quite creative with the lack of food supplies during the war. I wonder if folks today would be so resourceful?
 
View attachment 203684
Pre war subjects, ladies at tea, illustrating the past time of reading each other's tea leaves. Husbands, sweethearts, future children or general dreams of the future would be discerned in the soggy mass at the bottom of one's china cup. ' Tea ' was time for a lot of things.

This recipe for Old Fashioned Tea Cakes is from old Woodford Kentucky family. These are delightful to serve at your afternoon tea.

1 cup lard
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon soda
Flour enough for a dough that rolls easily
Flavor with nutmeg

Combine ingredients as given. Roll and cut with cookie cutter; may be centered with a nut or raisin. Bake in moderate oven. Makes 100 cookies.

Perfect for large tea party.

I grew up in Georgia and Louisiana, and had an image of Confederate Ladies tea parties, all in the interest of The Cause. Niter collection! See , esp. Night Soil section.

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