Makes about 4 dozen

These flaky little morsels are well deserving of their name. They truly do melt in your mouth. They are perfect for a formal tea and make great additions to the lunch box. Don’t leave home without them. These flaky little morsels are well deserving of their name. They truly do melt in your mouth. They are perfect for a formal tea and make great additions to the lunch box. Don’t leave home without them. You will find this same cookie, with small variations, in many cultures. See below for variations.

1 cup flour

½ cup corn starch

½ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Additional powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven o 350°.  Sift flour, corn starch and powdered sugar together and set aside.  In a large bowl using a mixer at medium speed whip the butter until smooth.  Add the flour and mix until well blended.  Refrigerate the mixture for about an hour so that it will be easier to handle.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  Place about an inch apart on a baking sheet that has been lined with bakers’ parchment. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn a very pale gold.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a minute or two.  In the meantime put powdered sugar in a small paper bag.  When the cookies are cool enough to touch, place six or eight at a time in the bag with the powdered sugar and shake very gently.  Remove and place on a plate.  Continue until all cookies have been coated with powdered sugar.

Variations:

Russian Tea Cakes – to the above recipe add ½ cup finely chopped walnuts.  Proceed as directed.

Anglesey Tea Cakes – to the above recipe add ½ teaspoon nutmeg and ½ teaspoon almond flavoring.

German Pheffernuse – to the above recipe add ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ cup very, very finely chopped glazed peel and ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. 

Arabian Mama-ma-mools – to the above recipe add the juice and zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.

Mexican Wedding Cakes – to the above recipe add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dough.  Also, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of powdered cocoa to the powdered sugar you dust them with.