Vernas Tea Cakes Recipes

TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Stir in flour, vanilla extract, baking powder, and baking soda until dough is well mixed. Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.

AUNT VERNA'S ORANGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together honey and eggs until thoroughly integrated. Stir in orange zest. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add slowly to egg mixture. Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter. Add the mixture to the pan and bake. After 30 minutes check for doneness with a wooden skewer. (If it comes out clean, you are done. If not, give it another 5 minutes and check it again).

TEACAKES

Steps:

• Warm the milk with the butter in a pan until the butter has melted, then add 100ml water to cool the mixture to room temp. Tip the flour, yeast, sugar, spice and 1 tsp salt into a bowl, making sure the yeast is on the other side of the bowl to the salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter in, mixing until it forms big flakes, then bring together with your hands. Tip on a surface and knead until smooth (about 5 mins). Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave until doubled in size, so about 1-1 ½ hours.
• Line a tray with baking paper. Tip the mixed dried fruits into the dough and knead them in, trying to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. Cut your dough into 6 even-sized balls, take each ball and, using the cup of your hand, and pressing down a little with your palm, roll the ball in a circular motion on the surface to create tension across the top of the bun and a neat round shape. Place onto a tray about 5cm away from each other and press down with your palm to flatten the dough down a little, creating the teacake shape. Cover loosely with an oiled sheet of cling film, for a further 45 mins, or until they have doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Brush the top of each bun liberally with the egg wash, then bake for 20 mins on the top shelf of the oven, until the buns are golden and well risen. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then slice in half, toast and slather with butter if you like.

GRANDMA'S OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; stir into the creamed mixture. Knead dough for a few turnns on a floured board until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• First, brown the butter: Place the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat to cook. Check it after about 7 minutes; it should be a medium-brown color, not too light but not too burnt. Once it reaches that color, take it off the heat and let it cool. Refrigerate to continue to cool for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 half sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Add the cold browned butter, flour, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon to a food processor; process until light and fluffy. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the walnuts and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
• Using a small ice cream scoop, portion 48 mounds of the dough onto your prepared sheet pans, spacing them 2 inches apart. Place in the freezer to cool for 15 minutes.
• Bake until the cookies are firm and smell nutty and toasty, 15 to 18 minutes. Rotate the pans 180 degrees halfway through baking.
• Meanwhile, place additional powdered sugar in another large bowl. Once the cookies are out of the oven, let cool for exactly 6 minutes 30 seconds then toss in the powdered sugar. Enjoy!

VERNA'S TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar by beating together.
• Add the flour a little at a time and then the eggs that are slightly beaten.
• Mix in the flavoring and the cinnamon and drop by teaspoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

TEA CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture (the dough will be soft). , Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

VANILLA TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour a 10-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. With rack in center, heat oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the rack to heat. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
• In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla; beat until creamy.
• With mixer on lowest speed, gradually add flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan; tap on countertop to settle. Place pan on baking sheet in oven. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until cake is golden on top and a tester inserted into center comes out clean.
• Let pan cool on a rack for 1 hour. Slide knife around cake to loosen. Invert pan to remove cake, then place upright on rack. When completely cool, wrap tightly in plastic and let stand 24 hours. Serve with fresh mixed berries on the side.

VERNA'S EASY FISHCAKES

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients.
• Form patties.
• Panfry in butter on medium heat.

VERNA'S TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar. Add the flour a little at a time. Add the eggs that are slightly beaten. Mix in flavoring. Drop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.
• For Christmas, you may want to put a red or green candied cherry in the center before cooking and after cooking and cooling, you could dust with powdered sugar.