Harridge Post & Prospector

Roxie’s Recipes (for the lazy cook)

This week, Roxie reveals the secret to her Mini Tea Cakes. They’re Miss Sandra’s favorite tea-time treat, and having guests in the house make this a must-serve.

As you all know, here at Harridge House, Miss Sandra insists on tea being served promptly every afternoon. Being as we have guests this week (as I’m certain you also all know – c’mon folks, this is Harridge after all) I’ve decided to add something extra to our usual finger sandwiches and sweets.

Earl Grey tea adds a unique flavor to these mini cakes. For you regular bakers out there, you’re likely to have most of these ingredients already on hand:
– 2 Earl Grey Tea bags – 1 cup milk
– ½ cup butter – 1 cup sugar
– 2 eggs – ½ tsp vanilla
– 2 cups flour – 4 tsp baking powder
For the icing
– ½ cup powdered sugar – 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk
– a couple of drops of vanilla – a couple of drops of almond extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour some mini Bundt pans (I used four this time, but I accidentally filled them too full, so next time I plan to use six and save a couple of cakes for me and Linda.)
Heat up the milk, then add the tea bags and let it steep for around 10 minutes or so, then discard your tea bags.
Soften the butter and then cream it together with the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and continue mixing.
Combine the flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Now gradually add these dry ingredients and your tea-infused milk to your butter and egg mix, and stir until you get a nice smooth consistency.
Pour the batter into your pans and bake for 45 minutes. Let your cakes cool for probably about 10 minutes or so before removing them from the pans and setting them on a plate.
Prepare a bit of icing using about ½ cup powdered sugar, a tablespoon or so of milk (stir as you add it slowly until you get the consistency you like), and a couple of drops of vanilla. I happen to like the taste of marzipan, so I also added a couple of drops of almond extract, but be careful with the extracts – a little goes a long way. Mix until smooth, then drizzle onto your cakes and top with raspberries or whatever you prefer.

Now, at 8pm this Friday, tune your radio to KNVC 95.1 FM Carson City – or if you’re not in range, you can pull it up on their website: https://knvc.org. If you happen to miss it for some reason, they will re-air it on Sunday, November 8th at 9pm.

Next week: German potato salad