Juneteenth Tea Cakes

There is an old saying that goes, “If you don’t progress, then you’ll regress.” During this moving chapter of our lives, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the world my kids will grow up in. How can I help progress my children forward in a way that shows compassion, love and equality. Many of us are feeling emotionally heated and raw, but as long as we are stepping forward we are moving in the right direction. There is so much work to be done. Work that may continue for decades to come. Taking the time to learn for myself and talk openly about these issues to my children are the first steps. Whenever I find myself stuck at where to start…I bake. Recipes have a way of carrying stories, so as I was baking I talked to my kids about the history behind the tea cake. 

Tea cakes were a common dessert at Juneteenth celebrations. For anyone who might be wondering what Juneteenth is, it marks a celebratory day in history on June 19, 1865. On this day in Galveston, Texas, enslaved people finally got news that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. Black communities celebrated this day by hosting cookouts, family reunions, and park parties. Many of these traditions are still alive today. 

The tea cake originated from the delicate pasty cakes that white women used to entertain company with in the front parlor. At the time of slavery, there weren’t many resources for black communities to makes them at home. They used whatever they had on hand with ingredients like molasses, lard, and some spices. I tried throwing together my own vegan, gluten free version using coconut oil, nutmeg, and ground flax. They came out perfect! Softy and chewy inside with a slight crisp outside. 

These vanilla buttery tea cakes are the perfect afternoon snack with iced tea, or an after dinner treat to share with the family.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour  (I used 1:1 mix)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons of water

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1/2 cup coconut oil at room temperature

3/4 natural organic cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup plant based milk

Recipe

1. In a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a small cup mix together the water and ground flax seed to make a ‘flax egg.’
3. Combine sugar and coconut oil in a mixer and mix on high until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes).
4. On medium speed slowly add in the vanilla, almond, flax egg, and plant milk until throughly combined. Then switch to slow speed and slowly add the flour mixture until combined.
5. Chill dough for about 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and remove dough from fridge. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Roll dough into ping pong ball sized balls and place them onto pan 1-2 inches apart. The dough will be a bit crumbly- this is normal. Flatten the balls slightly using the backside of the spatula and reshape into a circle if they crumble a bit.
8. Bake them for 10-14 minutes and remove from oven.
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!