"I
always remember my grandmother having teacakes in a flour sack."
"I
always remember my grandmother having teacakes. She just had them in a safe
and that's where she kept them."
"When
you think of teacakes, they look like little sugar cookies...like soft, chewy
cookies."
"And
the right thickness tell you what kind of teacake you'll make. If you make them
thick, you'll have more of a cake-like teacake. And if you roll them thin, they
will be a little crispier."
A thick, cake-like, teacake.
Hands in the process of making teacakes.
"They
keep and they don't crumble. So, they're good for traveling."
I
don't know how long [Kate] had been making teacakes, but I know the story that
goes 'round in the family. When her father came to visit, he loved her teacakes.
And when he decided to go home, he would just get up one morning and he would
say, 'I'm going home.' And she would make him a flour sack of teacakes to take
with him. And he would go catch the train and go home to Baton Rouge."
West Georgians in the country and in the
towns both enjoyed special treats called "teacakes" that some say
resemble a sugar cookie. Every woman had her own special recipe, often passed
down from her mother or another close relative.
People often preferred teacakes, because
the basic ingredients (sugar, flour, milk, and eggs) were generally on hand.
In the days before families bought prepackaged baked goods, mothers cooked
these by the dozen. They stocked them in flour sacks or pillowcases to keep
them fresh, pulling them out when children returned from school or the family
wanted something sweet.
Teacakes
Over time, cooks have experimented with other
ingredients to enhance the teacakes. Some prefer simple additions, such as
vanilla extract, while others might add raisins or nuts, depending on their
preferences. Around Easter, children enjoy spreading colored icing and sprinkles
on top of their teacakes.
A
plate of teacakes ready to be eaten.
