Teacakes are one of the pastries with the richest histories. Originally from England, tea cakes were toasted and buttered bread dotted with raisins, apricots, or cranberries. Over time, “tea cakes” have been generally applies to cakes, biscuits, cookies, and other pastries to be eaten along with tea.
However, tea cakes have a very different culinary history and significance in the United States. The American Teacakes were produced by African slaves who baked tea cakes for their European masters. Old-fashioned tea cakes were once made from eggs, sugar or molasses, and vanilla. It was a rather plain-looking cookie more than a cake.
Trivia
- The Tunnock’s Tea Cake company based in Scotland is one of the world’s oldest confectionery and pastry manufacturers. It was founded by Thomas Tunnock in 1880 at Lorne Place, Uddingston.
- Tunnock’s had a strong influence on Scottish contemporary art. In 2010, the Glasgow Print Studio dedicated an exhibit celebrating Tunnock’s Tea Cakes as well as the Caramel Wafers and the Snowballs.
- Visiting Tunnock’s Tea Cakes is one of the must things to do when visiting Scotland.
Buying Guide
There are endless varieties of tea cakes but they can either be homemade or commercially produced. Homemade teacakes are freshly baked by home bakers, without scrimping on special ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, and chocolates. Most of the dairy products, flour, and eggs can be sourced from nearby local producers or at the supermarket. On the other hand, the freshness of commercially produced tea cakes isn’t guaranteed but people still purchase them because of their more refined texture.
Production & Farming in Texas
Production & Farming in Texas
Teacakes would be commonly consumed if a state or area has a prominent tea culture. After all, some would associate tea with the snobbish elite of British society. However, American nobility has also adapted a couple of tea etiquette, and Texas is no exception.
Let’s start with the tea production. Yaupon Tea is the most commonly grown tea in the wetter and milder regions of Texas. Loose leaf tea companies include Zhi Tea in Austin and Silver Leaf Tea in Justin.
Now for the opulent tea rooms for a proper high tea. St. Regis Houston at the Marriott Hotel offers the best tea parties in Texas. Nothing beats is opulence and elegance. You can experience opulence and tranquility as you partake in noble dining. Like royalty, you will be provided a butler and even a harpist as you choose among 25 tea varieties sourced around the world along with a tea set composed of canapes, scones, sandwiches, macarons, and other signature pastries.
Preservatives and Chemicals
First, what type of tea cakes are you looking for? Second, what type of tea event are you hosting or attending? The type of occasion will determine whether the tea cakes you’ll be daintily eating will be freshly and meticulously prepared or just taken out of a packet and served in a lovely tea tray.
The best tea cakes are meticulously prepared and elaborately decorated to visually delight the partygoers. Although some might be plain-looking, the diners will be assured that only the best quality, sweet and savory ingredients will be used as an ode to tea culture.
However, not all tea cultures and events are equal. Some tea cakes are commercially produced with heavy amounts of preservatives such as benzoates, propionates, antioxidants, and other preservatives and additives such as artificial food colorings, flavorings, dough conditioners, and bread improvers.
Packaging
Teacakes can be individually packed with plastic wrap before arranged in a paper box for shipping. It’s essential to use airtight packaging to maintain the freshness of the cakes and prevent early spoilage.
You can also use paper liners or baking liners to wrap your tea cakes in a rustic style. Nevertheless, dainty packaging, looks, and taste are essential for these high-end treats.
Enjoying
Teacakes are usually reserved for high tea ceremonies in the afternoon. After all, it should be paired with tea. But for the record, tea cakes can also be consumed with different types of coffee or even hot chocolate. It’s always better to pair these with hot beverages but if you prefer cold beverages, then iced tea or natural juices would be best. We don’t recommend pairing it with frappes or heavily flavored drinks as we want to celebrate the union of the natural flavors and aromas from the tea or coffee and the tea cakes.
Storage
Teacakes can stay fresh at room temperature if wrapped properly in an airtight container. You can occasionally let air for a couple of minutes but it should be immediately consumed as contaminants and exposure will result in faster spoilage.
Freezing the tea cakes can extend their shelf life for up to 2 months. Although we don’t recommend storing tea cakes for a long time as they tend to dry out and lose their flavor.
Cooking
BROWN BUTTER FINANCIERS
Brown butter financiers are a classic French tea cakes made famous by world renowned pastry chef and culinary icon David Leibovitz.
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons almond flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz), plus more for the pans
More confectioner’s sugar for dusting, optional
PROCEDURE:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Butter and flour 2 mini-muffin tins or financier pans.
- In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour and salt. Add the almond flour, granulated sugar, and confectioner’s sugar and whisk well to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk the almond extract into the egg whites just until frothy, 30 to 60 seconds.
- In a wide saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Then bring the heat up to medium and let simmer, without stirring, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the milk solids have sunk to the bottom and have begun to turn light brown. You will hear the butter gurgle and snap as it cooks and begins to turn amber. Watch it carefully as you don’t want it to turn too dark a shade of brown. You may want to cover the pan with a lid or a spatter screen to prevent little droplets of hot butter landing on you or your stovetop. When the butter turns an amber color, remove the pan from the heat. You just made brown butter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg white mixture and gently whisk until combined. While the butter is still hot, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or measuring cup. You should have just shy of 1/2cup. Pour this into the batter and gently whisk just until the butter is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the mini-muffin pans, filling them to the top. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake the financiers for 13 to 15 minutes, until they have risen in the center and the edges are golden brown.
- Cool the financiers in the pans for at least 10 minutes and then turn them onto a wire rack to cool completely. The financiers are quite delicate, especially when warm, so if they stick to the pan, simply run the blade of a thin knife around the edge of each financier prior to turning them out of the pan. If desired, lightly dust the tops with confectioner’s sugar.
