Sift flour, baking powder and soda with your grandmother's sifter.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. This is certainly different from most cookie recipes. The butter and sugar aren't creamed first. Everything goes into the mixing bowl together after the dry ingredients are sifted. The dough will be sticky so you will need to generously flour your surface before turning out the dough.

Place the dough on the floured surface and keep adding flour until the dough loses its stickiness. Divide, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator. I divided the dough in half, but the next time I will divide in fourths. The tea cakes turn out better and keep their shape if you don't let the dough warm up prior to baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and take out your dough but only the part that you are going to use. Let the rest stay in the refrigerator. See that huge chunk that's missing? I can't imagine what happened to it.

Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inches thick. Cut with a small juice glass or a Vienna sausage can. I don't think cookie cutters will work right.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. I baked for the full 12 minutes and they were perfect. Cool on a rack and then store in a jar.