Aunt Nora's Countryside Inn
Bed and Breakfast

New Braunfels at Canyon Lake, Texas

Heritage Recipe

Nora Sandifer's Tea Cakes

Nora McCandlish Sandifer, 89 years, is my mom. I'm the youngest of her ten children; I can remember when she always used to make tea cakes in the 1950's when I was a kid. They were delicious! The cookie jar seemed to never run empty.

Nora was born in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana in 1910, one of seven children born to William R. McCandlish and Mannie Massey McManus. Papa's first seven children were of Dorthea Tennessee Starks.

Oh, the stories she could tell about riding to town once a month in Papa's horse and wagon. He later got a horse and buggy, she said. Nora worked alongside Papa and the other children following a plow mule in the springtime and pulling cotton during harvest time. At age seventeen, she married and began to multiply the earth with her ten children. She happily boasts 29 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren (and still counting), and about a dozen great-great grandchildren. Nora did "happy hour" (naps) at Eden Home about twice a day, and at 7:00 p.m. every evening. She loved the Lord and didn't mind telling you so. Nora left this earth to join Lenuel on March 21, 1999. Enjoy her recipe! This is a soft, yummy cookie, great with coffee or tea. ... Iralee Haly

Ingredients

1 cup margarine

3 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 to 6 Tablespoons milk

4 cups flour and flour to roll out

Beat the eggs; set aside. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir 2 Tablespoons milk into sugar mixture. Add dry ingredients one cup at a time, alternating with a Tablespoon of milk. Mix well and chill for at least 1 hour for good consistency. Roll out, cut into desired shape (for best results) using a round cookie cutter. Place at least 4 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen, just browned on the bottom. Let cool a minute before removing from cookie sheet.

• You found this recipe on 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook. (www.virtualcities.com)

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