Description
This recipe, for Tea Cakes takes you on a journey, into the kingdom of traditional baking, where simplicity and grace come together. Per cookie is a blend of room-temperature unsalted butter and finely ground all-purpose flour, enriched by the pleasurable crunch of toasted walnuts. After being rolled in a layer of confectioners’ sugar these cakes emerge from the oven with a tender texture that simply melts in your mouth. The golden edges whisper tales of warmth and homemade deliciousness. This recipe doesn’t just yield cookies; it constructs a tapestry of flavors and textures that invite you to reminisce about memories while making new ones savoring each sweet morsel covered in powdery sweetness.
Ingredients
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
½ c confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), plus 2 c more for rolling cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet, with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Take a skillet. Place the walnuts in it over medium heat. Toast them for 5 minutes tossing them frequently until they become fragrant and turn a golden color. Then roughly chop the walnuts.
In a bowl use an electric hand mixer to blend the butter at room temperature, ½ cup of powdered sugar and the vanilla extract until you achieve a smooth mixture.
Add the all-purpose flour and salt to the butter mixture. Stir until the dough is well mixed and there are no streaks of flour left.
Gently fold in the chopped walnuts so that they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Shape the dough into balls that are 1 inch in diameter. Place these balls onto the baking sheet making sure to leave at least 1 inch of space between each ball.
Bake in your preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. Until the cookies have set and their bases have turned lightly golden in color.
Once you remove the cookies from the oven while they are still warm roll them in sugar by placing them in a bowl, with sugar. Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet.
Once cooled to room temperature roll each cookie again in sugar so that they are fully coated. After you have made the Tea Cakes make sure to store them in a sealed container. They will remain fresh for a week.
Notes
Instead of using all-purpose flour you can try using your preferred gluten-free flour blend. Look for a blend that is specifically designed for 1:1 substitution to ensure the best outcome. Some gluten-free flours already contain xanthan gum, which helps replicate the texture of gluten. However if your chosen blend doesn’t have xanthan gum you may want to consider adding, around 1/2 teaspoon of it to the mixture. This will assist in binding the ingredients. Prevent the cookies from falling apart. Keep in mind that gluten-free flours sometimes absorb moisture so if your dough seems dry feel free to add a bit more butter to it.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
