Tea Cakes

[TonyC]

I was wondering if anyone had a recipe for Tea Cakes. Good one Monsta on the Stotie recipe, I'll have ti try that one soon.

[Monsta®]

I was wondering if anyone had a recipe for Tea Cakes. Good one Monsta on the Stotie recipe, I'll have ti try that one soon.

what are tea cakes?

are they cakes made from tea?

[Monsta®]

so there like hot cross buns!

ripped this from the guardian.co.uk

This simple dough can be usedfor most bun recipes, great for hot cross buns, chelsea buns, even forlittle balls of dough deep-fried and dusted in icing sugar for a NewYear's Eve snack. But the simple teacake, toasted and buttered, is myfavourite.

A hard fat like beef dripping in the dough makes theteacakes softer than butter would. For vegetarians, white chocolate isa much better substitute than regular butter, as the high proportion ofcocoa fat it contains stays as hard as dripping at room temperature.Now who would have thought beef fat and white chocolate had somethingin common?

Why the hefty amount of yeast? To counteract all thesugar, fat and spices that will slow the yeast down. As with us, alittle sugar speeds the beastie, but too much slows it right down. Fatalso makes fermentation difficult, and even spice slows the reaction.The yeast will be destroyed in the baking, and won't be bubbling aroundin your stomach, but will help make your sweet buns light and fluffy.

Makes 14

5 level tsp easy-blend yeast (about 2 sachets)

125ml warm water

600g strong white flour

150ml milk

25g golden syrup

25g caster sugar

50g beef dripping (or white chocolate), roughly chopped

150g currants

150g chopped mixed peel

½ level tsp each ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon

1 level tsp salt

3 large eggs

Dissolvethe yeast in the warm water with 3 tbsp flour (taken from the totalamount). Stir together well, then leave for 15 minutes to bubble.Meanwhile, heat the milk until boiling, then remove from the heat, addthe golden syrup, caster sugar, dripping, currants, peel, spices andsalt, stir well and leave to cool.

Beat the eggs and stir theseinto the milk mixture. Place the remaining flour in a warm bowl, stirthe yeast with the milk mixture, then tip this into the flour and stirwell until evenly combined. Cover the bowl, leave for 10 minutes, thengive the dough three light kneads over 30 minutes (see Basic techniques), cover and leave for a further 30 minutes.

Weighthe dough into 100g pieces and roll into round balls using your cuppedhand. Butter two baking sheets, roll the balls flat so they sit about2cm high and lay them on the tray about 3-4cm apart. Place the traysinside carrier bags and leave somewhere warm for 1½ hours to double inheight.

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan-assisted). Brush the topsof the dough with beaten egg and bake for 12-15 minutes or until risenand golden. Don't bake for too long, as you want them to stay soft.

Tried and tested

'I made exactly 14 teacakes, asthe recipe states, and they weregreat - definitely a recipe I willuse again'

Variation

Panettone teacakes

Reducethe milk to 50ml, replace the dripping with 75g white chocolate and addan extra 3 egg yolks with the eggs, together with the zest of an orangeand a lemon, 2 tbsp honey and 3 tsp each vanilla extract, orange flowerwater, rose water and chocolate essence (in place of the dry spices).For the topping, smash up some of those rough white La Perruche sugarcubes together with an equal quantity of amaretti and sprinkle on eachbun just after the egg wash.

[Brian Cross]

Monsta you are man of many hidden talents

[TonyC]

thanks Monsta

[margo]

I was wondering if anyone had a recipe for Tea Cakes. Good one Monsta on the Stotie recipe, I'll have ti try that one soon.

TEA CAKES 1LB PLAIN FLOUR 1 EGG 1/2OZ YEAST 1 1/2 GILLS WARM MILK 1 TSP SALT 1 1/2 OZ SULTANANS OR CURRANTS 2 OZ BUTTER 1 TSP CASTOR SUGAR

DISSOLVE FAT IN WARM MILK AND ADD THE EGG, CREAM SUGAR AND YEAST AND STIR IN THE MILK. PLACE FLOUR AND SALT IN WARM BASIN MAKE A STIFF BATTER WITH THE DISSOLVED YEAST APRINKLE THE TOP WITH A LITTLE FLOUR, COVER THE CLOTH AND ALLOW TO STAND IN A WARM PLACE FOR 1 HOUR. KNEAD IN 2 OZS. SUGAR AND CURRANTS OR SULTANAS. TURN ONTO A FLOURED BOARD AND DIVIDE INTO EQUAL PIECES. ROLL INTO ROUNDS AND PLACE ON A GREASED TIN SET TO RISE 15 MINS. BAKE IN A QUICK OVEN FOR ABOUR 20 MINS. WHEN THE CAKES ARE BAKED RUB WITH BUTTER TO GLAZE.