Old Fashioned Tea Cake Christmas Cookies
Try this Old Fashioned Tea Cake Christmas Cookies recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Old Fashioned Tea Cake Christmas Cookies recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 111.849940137954 g
- Cholesterol 195.993333470979 mg
- Fat 74.9910567203967 g
- Fiber 3.93750007455588 g
- Protein 17.6044000189217 g
- Saturated Fat 46.2570820331726 g
- Serving Size 1 1 doz (320g)
- Sodium 1923.15566903362 mg
- Sugar 107.912440063398 g
- Trans Fat 6.13059700422975 g
- Calories 1191 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large mixing bowl, Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add eggs one at a time beating after each.
- Blend in dry ingredients, a little at a time to avoid a big cloud of flour dust, and continue to mix until a stiff dough is formed.
- Roll dough workable sized into logs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight.
- Take our just enough to work with and leave the rest in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
- Roll out very thin.
- Cut with cookie cutters and place on prepared cookie sheet pan.
- Bake at 375° until lightly browed. My oven cooks fast, mine are ready in 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool before icing.
Replacing unsalted butter with lard yields a vastly more fragile, crumbly tea cake that melts instantly on the tongue rather than holding a crisp edge. Achieving the correct crumb depends entirely on how the fats and proteins interact during mixing and baking.
- Creaming the butter and granulated sugar incorporates microscopic air pockets, which baking powder and baking soda expand once heat hits the dough.
- Using eggs at 68 degrees Fahrenheit prevents the chilled fat from seizing and separating during incorporation.
- Chilling the wrapped dough logs for at least four hours solidifies the butterfat, stopping the cookies from spreading too flat in a 375 degree oven.
- Rolling the dough very thin creates a delicate snap, while thick portions remain soft and cake-like.
- Baking proceeds rapidly at high heat, requiring close observation until the edges turn lightly brown, typically within 5 to 8 minutes.
Working in small batches from the refrigerator keeps the remaining dough cold enough to handle cleanly. Proper cooling on wire racks prevents steam condensation from softening the crisp exterior before icing.
