Fluris Moffett's Tea Cake Cookies

This is my grandmother's tea cake recipe...I can remember the cookies always being in the green depression glass cookie jar.  With many years gone by, I could still remember the cookies.  I finally found a tea cake recipe that I could use that was "pretty" close to being just as good.  Using the "found" recipe for over 25 became a Holiday Season tradition.  We found that we even like them better with a powder sugar icing...what's not to like?

After moving back to Texas, I met a little lady at church where I had grown up.  For some unknown reason, we started talking about cookies....she said, " I have your grandma's tea cake recipe, and it is sure good."...all I could say was, "oh my!"  After about 2 weeks she brought me the recipe...the hand written recipe from my grandmother.  She said, " I just copied it down and gave you the original".  I had never dreamed of getting Grandma's recipe, much less one that she had written.

Today I made the cookies...The first batch was thicker...and we like a thicker cookie, but the last  few pans were thin (like the recipe says) and crisp.  They were my grandmother's cookies. After trying the thin and crisp ones we may have to stick with them...with a hot cup of tea or coffee (they drank with coffee) it would make a mighty good afternoon refreshment.

Fluris Moffett's Tea Cakes  (typed as she wrote it out)

1 cup lard ( I use Crisco)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs (well beaten)
1 teaspoon soda in 1 Tablespoon hot water
1 quart flour
little salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Roll thin and bake at 450 degrees
Makes 6 dozen.

My notes:  Yes, I had the oven at 450 and I was finally able to roll them thin enough.   We are on our own for how long to cook them, but I found that the thin ones need only to cook for 4 to 5 minutes.  When they start to brown around the edges, they are done.  You will need some flour to roll them out on and to keep the rolling pin dusted with flour. I used a biscuit cutter.  After the 2nd pan, I did finally lightly spray the cookie sheet with non stick spray.