Tea Cake Island Style Food

IRISH TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Brew the tea in 1½ cups of hot water and allow to cool. Combine the dried fruits in a non-reactive bowl and pour over the cooled tea. Refrigerate overnight. Heat your oven to 170C. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and spices in a mixing bowl, crack in the egg and add the fruits without their liquid. Stir to combine, and add as much of the soaking liquid as necessary to create a pourable batter, reserving the remainder. Transfer to a lined loaf tin and bake for 75 minutes. Test with a skewer and, if the skewer comes out wet, return to oven for a further 15 minutes. When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then place on a rack to cool to room temperature. While the cake is cooking, combine the caster sugar with ¼ cup of the soaking liquid. If no soaking liquid remains, use ¼ cup of water. Bring to a simmer in a small saucepan for just long enough to dissolve the sugar, then allow to cool. Brush the cooling cake with the sugar syrup. When cooled to room temperature, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least two hours (preferably overnight). Slice, spread with butter, and serve with a cup of tea. Looking for more St Patrick's Day ideas? Try Adam Liaw's Dublin coddle.

EASY TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream the butter and sugar, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Then add the milk and gradually add the flour, making a light, soft dough. Roll the dough out so it¿s very thin. Cut into rounds and put on a buttered baking pan. Bake until the cakes are yellowish in color, about 8 minutes.

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.

TEA CAKES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (I did not use a mixer; I simply stirred the ingredients together in a single bowl with a wooden spoon.
• 2. Stir together granulated sugar and room temperature softened butter.
• 3. Add slightly beaten (with a fork) eggs, one at a time, stirring well after the addition of each egg.
• 4. Stir in flour in three portions, mixing well between additions of flour.
• 5. Stir in vanilla extract.
• 6. Portion onto parchment lined baking sheet using a #100 scoop (scant 1 teaspoon of dough)
• 7. Bake until Tea Cakes rise and then fall. In my oven this takes exactly 11 minutes to bake and become a light golden brown on the bottom of the Tea Cake, while remaining light in color on the top of the cookie.
• 8. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then place on wire rack and cool completely. After the Tea Cakes have cooled, they should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
• 9. Alternatively, bake the Tea Cakes on a cool iron skillet (rubbed with a thin layer of butter) for 11-14 minutes. Tea Cakes baked on the iron skillet will be much more crisp and crumbly, but equally delicious.
• 10. Additional Information: I bake using a scale; if you prefer to follow that recipe conversion, please see my blog Tea Cake post: http://bakingpictures.com/ma-browders-tea-cakes/

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.

OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix.
• Scatter butter across surface. Pulse until butter is completely incorporated into dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and pulse a few times until the dough clumps together. Gather dough, barely kneading until you can shape the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. On a well floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll dough into a 1/4-inch thick circle. Use a 3-inch round cutter to punch out circles from the dough; transfer circles to prepared baking sheet. Reroll scraps and cut out additional circles.
• Bake until tea cakes have puffed slightly and barely take on color, 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.

ENGLISH TEA CAKE AND RUSSIAN TEA

Steps:

• Combine yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Combine milk and water in a pot; heat until lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Rub in butter with fingertips. Add yeast mixture and remaining sugar. Gradually add the warmed milk. Blend until the dough becomes elastic and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Mix in the fruit and peel.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and pliable. Dust inside of a warm bowl; place dough in it. Cover with a lightly floured clean towel. Leave in a warm place, about 100 degrees F., until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Gently knead; do not overwork. Cut dough into 6 even pieces. Shape into even, smooth rounds.
• Place cakes onto a baking sheet and cover with a towel. Let rest another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Once rested, bake cakes for 30 minutes.
• To make glaze: dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in water over low heat. Brush over hot cakes. Cool and serve.

TEA CAKE, ISLAND-STYLE

Steps:

• Trim and peel pineapple. Cut 6 slices, 1/2-inch thick, and cut fruit into wedges, removing cores.
• Prepare Streusel and set aside.
• Re-sift flour with baking powder and salt. Combine butter, granulated sugar and egg, and beat until well-blended. Stir in lemon peel, and about half the flour mixture. Stir in the milk, then stir in the remaining flour mixture.
• Turn into well-greased and lightly floured 8-inch springform pan (or baking pan 6 by 9 by 2 inches). Sprinkle with half the Streusel. Arrange pineapple wedges over top and sprinkle with remaining Streusel.
• Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 55 to 60 minutes, until cake tests done and edges begin to pull away from pan. Remove from oven to wire rack and let stand 10 to 15 minutes, then remove from pan.
• Sprinkle with a light sifting of powdered sugar.
• Serve warm or cool. Makes 8 servings.
• Streusel: Combine 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed) and 1/4 cup flour. Cut in 3 tablespoons butter or margarine until particles are like coarse crumbs.