Elegant Tea Cakes
Submitted by hampshire
Elegant tea cakes are thin, crisp slice-and-bake butter cookies with vanilla and cream. Not too sweet, designed for dunking in tea and topping with jam or marmalade.
YIELD
10 dozenPREP
15 minCOOK
10 minREADY
These English-style tea cookies are deliberately understated. Lightly sweet, crisp, and buttery, they’re built for a cup of Earl Grey and a dab of jam or marmalade, not for standing on their own as a sugary treat.
The dough rolls into a log, chills overnight, then slices into thin rounds that bake in under 8 minutes. That overnight rest firms the butter and makes slicing clean and even. If you’re in a rush, two hours in the freezer does the trick.
Slice them thin. Really thin. These are meant to be delicate, snappy wafers that hold up when you dunk them into a hot cup of tea without falling apart.
Chef Tips
- Cream the butter and sugar until genuinely light and fluffy, not just combined. This incorporates air and gives the cookies their tender snap.
- Wrap the dough log tightly in foil so it holds a perfectly round shape while chilling. A flat side means lopsided cookies.
- Bake on the shorter side (5 minutes) if you want them pale and crisp. Push to 8 minutes for golden edges with a slight caramel note.
- Store in a tin, not a plastic container. These stay crisp for days in a proper cookie tin.
Variations
- Add lemon zest to the dough for a bright, citrusy tea cake that pairs beautifully with black tea.
- Roll the log in coarse sugar before slicing for sparkly, crunchy edges.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate for an afternoon treat.
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, cream butter with sugar until very light.
Add well beaten egg, cream and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift flour with baking powder; add creamed mixture and blend well.
Roll dough into a log and wrap in aluminum foil.
Chill overnight, or in freezer for 2 hours if rushed for time.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Remove dough from refrigerator, slice very thin and place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake 5 to 8 minutes at 350℉ (180℃).
Serve these not-too-sweet cookies in the traditional English fashion with your favorite cup of tea.
They are delicious with a dab of jam or marmalade and hold up well when dunking.
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