🍪 Southern Tea Cake Cookies: Grandma’s Classic Recipe with a Buttery, Cakey Twist!

 

Step back in time with these melt-in-your-mouth, old-fashioned Southern tea cakes—simple, subtly sweet, and irresistibly tender. These lightly crisp-edged, soft-centered cookies taste like a cross between a sugar cookie and a shortbread, with a hint of nostalgia in every bite.

Perfect with a glass of cold milk, sweet tea, or coffee, this vintage recipe is:

✅ Ready in 30 minutes (no chilling required!)

✅ Made with pantry staples (no fancy ingredients!)

✅ Nostalgia-packed (just like Grandma used to make!)

✅ AdSense goldmine (classic Southern desserts = high RPM!)

📝 Ingredients (Makes 24 Cookies)

🍪 For the Cookies:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp almond extract (secret flavor boost!)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ cup buttermilk (or milk + ½ tsp vinegar)

✨ For the Sugar Dusting (Optional):

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

👵 Step-by-Step (Just Like Old Times!)

1. Cream Butter & Sugar

① Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

② Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~3 mins).

③ Mix in egg, vanilla, and almond extract.

2. Combine Dry Ingredients

① Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.

② Alternate adding dry mix and buttermilk to butter mixture (start & end with flour).

3. Roll & Cut

① Dough should be soft but not sticky (add 1-2 tbsp flour if needed).

② Roll out ½-inch thick on a floured surface.

③ Cut with a round cookie cutter or glass (~2.5” diameter).

4. Bake to Perfection

⏰ Bake 10-12 mins until pale golden at edges (don’t overbake!).

❄️ Cool 2 mins on sheet, then transfer to a rack.

5. Sugar Dusting (Optional)

✨ While warm, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for extra sweetness!

💡 Pro Tips for the Best Tea Cakes

🔥 Extra tender? Substitute 1 tbsp cornstarch for 1 tbsp flour.

🍯 More flavor? Add lemon zest or nutmeg to the dough.

⏳ Make ahead? Freeze unbaked dough for up to 1 month.

☕ Authentic touch? Serve with peach jam or honey butter.