These Old Fashioned Tea Cakes are a classic from long ago. Some people may call them shortbread cookies, but either way they are delicious.
If you love old-fashioned recipes, you will also love Kentucky Bourbon Balls. I have seen many recipes for these, but this one is authentic to a real bourbon ball.
❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
If you have followed our website for any amount of time, then you know we love old-fashioned recipes, and we love sharing our Grandmother’s recipes. This was one of her favorites. She was from Mississippi, and she loved to entertain her friends. She was very much a Southern Lady and loved to make these for afternoon tea. She would always serve them on cute little plates.
🍴KEY INGREDIENTS
- Pecans or walnuts
- Butter,
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
SWAPS
There really aren’t many swaps on this recipe unless you want to switch out the vanilla for almond, coconut, maple, etc. That is really about the only change that could be made, other than leaving the nuts out altogether.
🍽️HOW TO MAKE
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is letting the dough get cold. You don’t want the fat source, the butter to heat up while you are working with the dough, so it must be chilled.
COOKING STEPS
Step 1
Mix all ingredients with mixer until very crumbly. Take your hands and shape into a ball and put in refrigerator until solid enough to pinch off a piece and flatten on a hard surface.
Step 2
Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
Step 3
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees about 25 minutes. Just before removing from oven, turn on the broiler for about 45 seconds and let brown on top.
⭐TIP
If your dough get too soft while cutting out the cookies, just return to refrigerator for a while or between cooking.
SERVE THIS WITH
These delicious cookies are great for Christmas and go great with this Old Fashioned Snowball Cake. It’s a classic for a reason!
❓FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
They are not either.. honestly they have kind of a hard surface but they melt in your mouth. The butter keeps them soft.
Yes, this is a very old recipe and this is the way we have always made them.
STORING
These cookies will keep for several months in an air-tight container. We make them at the beginning of December and enjoy them through the holidays.
💕MORE POPULAR RECIPES TO ENJOY
SERVING SIZE
This recipe makes 3-4 dozen depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
Tea Cakes
Tea Cakes melt in your mouth. I’ve never come across anyone who doesn’t like them. These buttery treats are sometimes called shortbread cookies, but eithe way they are delicious.
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
-
Mix all ingredients with mixer until very crumbly. Take your hands and shape into a ball and put in refrigerator until solid enough to pinch off a piece and flatten on a hard surface. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
-
Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees about 25 minutes. Just before removing from oven turn on broiler for about 45 seconds and let brown on top.
If your dough get too soft while cutting out the cookies, just return to refrigerator for a while or between cookings.
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