Tea-Cakes

The Book of Household Management · Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary) · 1861
Source
The Book of Household Management
Yield
8.0 tea-cakes
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (10)
optional additions
for serving
for toasting
Instructions (22)
  1. Put the flour (which should be perfectly dry) into a basin.
  2. Mix with it the salt, and rub in the butter or lard.
  3. Beat the egg well, stir to it the yeast, and add these to the flour with as much warm milk as will make the whole into a smooth paste.
  4. Knead it well.
  5. Let it rise near the fire.
  6. When well risen, form it into cakes.
  7. Place them on tins.
  8. Let them rise again for a few minutes before putting them into the oven.
  9. Bake from 1/4 to 1/2 hour in a moderate oven.
Optional Additions
  1. Add a few currants and a little sugar to the other ingredients.
  2. Put these in after the butter is rubbed in.
Serving
  1. These cakes should be buttered, and eaten hot as soon as baked.
Reheating Stale Cakes
  1. When stale, they are very nice split and toasted.
  2. Or, if dipped in milk, or even water, and covered with a basin in the oven till hot, they will be almost equal to new.
To Toast Tea-Cakes
  1. Cut each tea-cake into three or four slices, according to its thickness.
  2. Toast them on both sides before a nice clear fire.
  3. As each slice is done, spread it with butter on both sides.
  4. When a cake is toasted, pile the slices one on the top of the other.
  5. Cut them into quarters.
  6. Put them on a very hot plate, and send the cakes immediately to table.
  7. As they are wanted, send them in hot, one or two at a time.
  8. If allowed to stand, they spoil, unless kept in a muffin-plate over a basin of boiling water.
Original Text
TEA-CAKES. 1786. INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of flour, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, 1/4 lb. of butter or lard, 1 egg, a piece of German yeast the size of a walnut, warm milk. Mode.—Put the flour (which should be perfectly dry) into a basin mix with it the salt, and rub in the butter or lard; then beat the egg well, stir to it the yeast, and add these to the flour with as much warm milk as will make the whole into a smooth paste, and knead it well. Let it rise near the fire, and, when well risen, form it into cakes; place them on tins, let them rise again for a few minutes before putting them into the oven, and bake from 1/4 to 1/2 hour in a moderate oven. These are very nice with a few currants and a little sugar added to the other ingredients: they should be put in after the butter is rubbed in. These cakes should be buttered, and eaten hot as soon as baked; but, when stale, they are very nice split and toasted; or, if dipped in milk, or even water, and covered with a basin in the oven till hot, they will be almost equal to new. Time.—1/4 to 1/2 hour. Average cost, 10d. Sufficient to make 8 tea-cakes. Seasonable at any time. TO TOAST TEA-CAKES. [Illustration: TEA-CAKES.] 1787. Cut each tea-cake into three or four slices, according to its thickness; toast them on both sides before a nice clear fire, and as each slice is done, spread it with butter on both sides. When a cake is toasted, pile the slices one on the top of the other, cut them into quarters, put them on a very hot plate, and send the cakes immediately to table. As they are wanted, send them in hot, one or two at a time, as, if allowed to stand, they spoil, unless kept in a muffin-plate over a basin of boiling water.
Notes
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