Spiced Tea

I was talking to a couple girlfriends yesterday about tea.

One of them was asking about tea for drinking in the cold winter and though I admit that we don’t have much of the cold here in the Big City…

 I started telling her about tea my momma used to make in the 1980’s and then I thought I’d tell you about it.

My Mom has been making this tea every winter as long as I can remember.  When I was in elementary school we used to give it to teachers as our Christmas gifts- you know back when the gifts before December break were called Christmas Gifts- and when December Break was called Christmas Break.  Back in the crazy old days. 

Now my parents give it to their friends in their supper club as part of their annual gift exchange along with homemade salsa.

It’s a traditional and tasty tea- though if you’ve never had it you might think- total gag- but I’m telling you- it is good.  

Seriously good.

So here’s my copy of the recipe on my 1988 recipe cards

Spiced Tea

2 Cups of Tang- you know the beverage of the astronauts. 

2 cups of sugar- (my mom tried using splenda this year- I do not know how it turned out- maybe if she reads this she can let us know)

¾ Cup of Instant Lemon Sweet Tea 

1 ½ Cup of Regular Instant Tea

1 TBSP cinnamon

Mix it all up in a bowl, store it in a jar and when it’s cold outside make a cup of hot water and put in a few teaspoons of the powdery mix and stir it.  Warm your hands on the cup and sip. 

Amazing Almond Cake

Y'all- I have been away for a while and I have been thinking about coming back time and again and it was only the following recipe that has gotten me off my fanny and back on the horse of the typing world to tell you about things in the land of the Paper World.

First and foremost- we have moved.  Secondly- we renovated.  Thirdly- we got chickens.

I tell you all of these tidbits so you will come back another day and hear all about all of them- but today I HAVE to tell you- am basically required by law to tell you about this recipe.

I made it last week to see if it was any good after thinking about it for a couple of weeks, then it was amazing so I made two more that same afternoon to take to a morning meeting for the next day- every bite was eaten by the lovely ladies at the meeting.  Y'all it is delicious.

So here is the recipe as it was published by the Safeway corporation- and then with my revisions.

Safeway's version:

Almond Butter Cake with Crunchy Almond Topping
One bowl and 10 minutes prep is all it takes to make this incredibly moist and flavorful cake.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup Lucerne Sweet Cream Butter
• 2 Safeway SELECT Organic Large Eggs
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 cup sliced (not slivered) almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar and butter until blended. Stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Stir in almond extract, vanilla, and salt. Stir in flour until it is incorporated.
3. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle sugar over the top. Sprinkle with almonds.
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden. Cake will not test clean with a toothpick.
5. Cut into wedges and serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Now- Here's what I'd say about the cake having made it now 4 times.

I lined the cake pan with parchment paper three of the times and each of those times the cake came from the pan beautifully.  One of the times I only greased the pan and tried to get the cake out- it didn't come out very well at all...  so I totally recommend lining the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper and then spraying it all with pam.  I cooked the cakes for 35 minutes and one of the times on convection so 325 degrees F and still for 35 minutes.  I didn't put salt in my cake as the recipe I have from the back of the almond bag doesn't call for it.  Seems like a swell idea though.  And finally I use a tablespoon of sugar instead of 2 teaspoons for sprinkling over the top of the almonds.

Almond Butter Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted Butter, melted
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp
• 3/4 cup sliced (not slivered) almonds

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar and melted butter until blended. Stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Stir in almond extract, vanilla, and salt. Stir in flour until it is incorporated.
3. Pour batter into a parchment lined, greased and floured 9-inch cake pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds. Sprinkle sugar over the top.
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden. Cake will not test clean with a toothpick.
5. Cut into wedges and serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

So there's the most delicious cake you will make this year.  Make it as soon as you can.  It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.