recently. So far she loves carrying around the cups and hiding things in the teapot but I thought I'd put it to better use and make some mini teacakes.The idea came from the recent request from Foodbuzz for tea party recipes. Foodbuzz is donating $50 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund for every tea party inspired recipe created by a feature publisher before March 23rd and I'm making it just under the wire. I really had no idea what a "teacake" was and in this case the internet wasn't much help, even Wikipedia struggles for an answer. So I went to the source of all baking knowledge, Martha.
I based my mini teacakes on Martha's recipe but tweaked them to be nut and dairy free. We are just beginning to try coconut oil on Penny and this is really her only taste of sugar so far, outside of a little maple syrup. But it's her birthday week and I feel like being indulgent. The mini cakes are not too sweet, a little denser than your average muffin with a slightly crisp exterior. I love the oat and raspberry combination and it completely won over Penny and her older brother. Now we just need to whip up some deviled eggs, one of Alex's favorite things to make on his own, and a spot of tea to have our petite fête.
Links:
-Visit Kelly Confidential and you can play make believe and host an imaginary tea party at Kelly's Tea Party for a Cause. When you do, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
-A friend runs a tea directory online at Now Serving Tea. Take a look at her site for information on tea rooms, tea houses, tea shops, tea crafters, tea farms, tea retailers, and restaurants serving tea.
-How about some homemade chai tea with your tea cakes? This recipe from intellectual relish uses black cardamom.
Raspberry-Oat Tea Cakes
Based on the recipe for Tiny Cherry and Almond Tea Cakes from Martha Stewart Living, July 2007
Makes 12 mini muffin sized cakes
4 tablespoons coconut oil
8 tablespoons processed oatmeal*
5 tablespoons sugar, I used coconut sugar
4 tablespoons brown rice flour
3 tablespoons potato starch
3/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 frozen raspberries
*I ground rolled oats in a food processor to a cornmeal consistancy. Please be sure that your oats come from a gluten-free source if you have health concerns.
-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour a mini muffin tin with coconut oil and potato starch.
-In a small saucepan, melt your coconut oil and then remove from heat.
-In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together your oatmeal, sugar, rice flour, potato starch and salt. Set aside.
-In another medium sized bowl, whisk your egg whites just until frothy. Add in the dry ingredients and vanilla extract and whisk until the batter is smooth. Then drizzle in the warm coconut oil and beat until a uniform smooth batter is created.
-Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and then press a frozen raspberry into each cake, you don't need to push the raspberry all the way into the batter.
-Bake for 11-12 minutes until they toothpick test done. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan and then remove to cool on a rack.
-Serve with tea and maybe some deviled eggs, if that tickles your fancy.
Penny gives me staging advice, right before she made off with the teapot lid!
I'm adding these to Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
