Here’s a recipe, y’all.
When I was a kid, my mother baked constantly. It was something she loved to do; it was something to relieve stress. Consequently, if the table was lined with pies and cookies when we came home on any given day, my sister and I knew to make ourselves scarce because Momma was likely very, very on edge.
So baking was A Thing in our home. This made Christmas baking A Really Big Thing. It was something we looked forward to with the same amount of eagerness a visit from Santa would evoke. We got to be a part of our mother’s ritual then; we got to glean secrets and tips and advice from her personal storehouse of pastry wizardry. We got to play with the cookie press and the frosting bags and the myriad of not-everyday utensils that she kept on hand.
We got to lattice the pies. We got. To Lattice. Those Piiiiiies.
When I got old enough to move out and away –across the country, then over the ocean, then around the world– two things that went with me were my little book of carefully-collected recipes and a set of basic cookie cutters mother had stuffed down into my Christmas stocking one year. No matter where I found myself, no matter how much or how little I had, I always managed to bake, and most especially at the holidays. If I can decorate a tree and turn out some carefully-crafted sweets and pies to share, I am content and have need of nothing else.
This holiday tradition has grown exponentially more enjoyable by the ability to fold my own children into it. Each year we bake (they each have their own favorites they like to play assistant on), storing up our creations in colorful tins which we pull from to make plates for neighbors, friends and parties we attend. All the baking culminates in an afternoon event where I lay out sprinkles and tubes of icing and our sugar cookies cut into various shapes; Scout and Sam and Mathias then have friends over to help decorate (but mostly to giggle and act a fool). This is Christmas to me: Kids in aprons ringed around my table, laughing.
Every year I have the stock recipes I draw from; these are the proven favorites that people have requested and requested again over the years. Every year, though, I try to make one or two ‘floaters’…usually a different kind of cookie or bar or tart that I’ve never tried before, just to keep things interesting. Last year my friend Fran made these amazing little lemon cakelets that I fell in love with. This year she gave me the recipe and I made them for the first time this weekend. They taste phenomenal, they keep well (last year’s gift of them stored up for over a week and were still terrific after all that time) and they make enough to share with loads of people, all from one batch. Enjoy, awesome Muffinasses!
Miss Fran’s Lemon Tea Cakes
Cakes:
1 1/2 c butter (no substitutes), softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 1/4 c sugar
6 eggs
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
3 c all purpose flour
Glaze:
5 1/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c plus 3 tbsp milk
3 1/2 tsp lemon extract
In a mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in lemon juice, extracts and peel. Gradually add flour. Fill greased mini muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes or until cakes pull away from sides. Cool for 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Combine glaze ingredients. Dip tops of cakes into glaze; place on waxed paper to dry. Makes 8 1/2 dozen.
Feel free to leave one of your own favorites in the comments!
13 worked it out »