MAMMY’S OLD-FASHIONED TEA CAKES

SALLY LANGSTON (Saltillo, Mississippi) was known as Mammy to her twenty-plus grandchildren. She made these old-fashioned tea cakes several times a month but always had trouble keeping her grandkids out of the dough because it was so delicious. This treasured family favorite was passed on to her daughter, Erma Langston Smith, who in turn passed it on to her four daughters: SARAH SMITH, MARY NELL MILLWOOD, Barbara Cowan (all of Tupelo, Mississippi), and NANCY MCGEE (Murfreesboro, Tennessee). It continues to be enjoyed by multiple generations of fans.

5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough

2 cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup vegetable shortening or lard, plus extra to prepare pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 ½ teaspoons hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sugar to sprinkle

1 In a large bowl blend the flour, sugar, salt, and shortening.

2 In a small bowl dissolve the baking soda in hot water.

3 In a medium bowl add the eggs and buttermilk, the baking soda mixture, and hot water. Mix well. Add the vanilla and combine with the flour mixture. Mix well. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

4 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with shortening.

5 On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Using a small biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar and place on cookie sheets approximately 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until very lightly browned. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before moving to a wire rack.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 4 ½ DOZEN COOKIES.

NOTE: It’s important to roll these thin or they will swell up too thick. Be careful not to overbake, or they will get too hard. While Mammy only used vanilla, you can add other flavoring—orange, almond, lemon—to change it up a bit. Or try adding some food coloring to change the dough color for the holidays.