I’ve been craving my mama’s Southern Tea Cakes for several weeks now. I tried making a “healthy” version of them using King Arthur baking sugar substitute and almond flour. I have to tell you, they were terrible. Not even remotely like the freshly baked tea cakes that would be waiting for me when I got home from school. If your heart is set on something, a not too good substitute just doesn’t satisfy.
So, today I made the real thing…from Mama’s recipe. No substitutions. Real vanilla extract. Real sugar. Real butter. I followed the instructions carefully and even sifted the flour and baking powder together. (Sometimes I skip the sifting but not today.) I iced half of them with the chocolate icing Mama used to make. Butter, milk, cocoa and powdered sugar. Finally, my craving for tea cakes was satisfied. I only made one dozen. After those are gone, it’s right back to our healthy eating. But, sometimes, you just have to reach back in time and enjoy the memories.
Years ago, after mama passed away, I made a cookbook of her recipes and a family tree at that time. Our family tree has grown and I have found more of her recipes, so I need to redo this little book.