MAMA’S TEA CAKES

My mama likes to mother the whole band. If we’re playing within a three-hour radius of my hometown, she and Daddy will come for the show. One of the things all the bandmates and crew look forward to are Mama’s Tea Cakes. Whether the tea cakes should be iced or not is a big debate not only in our family but also among the band members and their children. Daisy, her cousins, and her playmates always vote for icing, while the grown folks opt for plain. But there’s no debate about whether the kids love to help frost these sugar cookie–like tea cakes. They do!

Makes 3 dozen cookies

TEA CAKES

1¼ CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR

⅔ CUP VEGETABLE SHORTENING

2 EGGS

1 TABLESPOON MILK

1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

3 CUPS SELF-RISING FLOUR, SIFTED

PINCH OF SALT

ICING

6 TABLESPOONS BUTTER, MELTED

3½ CUPS POWDERED SUGAR, SIFTED

¼ TEASPOON SALT

1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

3 TO 4 TABLESPOONS HALF-AND-HALF

1. Make the tea cakes: Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cream the granulated sugar, shortening, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing until a dough forms. Knead the dough a few times to make it come together.

3. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a ⅛-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch round cutter to cut out cookies, then place them on the baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks. Roll out any dough scraps to cut out and bake more cookies.

4. Make the icing: Stir together the melted butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix in the vanilla, then slowly stir in 3 tablespoons half-and-half. Add more if needed to reach a proper frosting consistency.

5. Frost the tea cakes while they’re still slightly warm, which will help the icing spread and glaze the tea cake. Set to dry on the cooling rack for 30 minutes. (Or if you can’t stand it, eat one right away!)

6. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Use wax paper between layers, if needed.