When my kids were preschool aged, there were only a few books that I could count on to keep their attention when I needed a break and didn’t want to turn on a screen. Since they couldn’t read yet, long stories or books with few pictures were out of the question, but one book that always kept them occupied was Oh, What a Busy Day by Gyo Fujikawa. This is an unusual book in that it is not really a story, not really poetry, but something entirely different. The book is loosely based around the schedule of a young child’s day with pages describing breakfast, play time, and friends saying goodbye to head home after playing but it is not really an exact, chronological description of one day. There are also pages that talk about manners, being a good friend, seasons, and the pleasures of gardening. Each page of this delightful book is a treasure filled with Fujikawa’s signature illustrations of adorable, diverse groups of children playing and helping each other but also with wise, lovely words. Young children are fascinated by the illustrations full of kids doing the same things they do, and each page has enough detail to hold their interest. We have spent hours perusing this book in our house, both with and without the words being read, and my children still sometimes like to read it together now that they are in elementary school. Oh, What a Busy Day is one of my top recommendations for new parents starting to build a library of children’s books; it is truly a timeless classic!
As I mentioned above, I find every page of Oh, What a Busy Day to be a gem, but my favorite page is one with a poem by Christina Rossetti that says:
The dear old woman in the lane
Is sick and sore with pains and aches,
We’ll go to her this afternoon,
And take her tea and eggs and cakes.
We’ll stop to make the kettle boil
And brew some tea and get the tray,
And poach an egg, and toast a cake,
And wheel her chair around, if we may.
Christina Rossetti
All around this lovely poem are pictures of children helping an old woman in a wheel chair in all different ways. Some of the kids are working outside to care for her yard or animals, some are inside serving her food and cleaning, and some are walking up the front steps with groceries for her. Both the poem and illustration are such great conversation starters to talk to young kids about serving others. I have spent a lot of time with my kids looking at this page and talking about what the kids are doing and which of these acts we could do for others.
In honor of Rossetti’s poem, and Gyo Fujikawa’s beautiful depiction of her words, I’ve developed this recipe for Cherry Almond Tea Cakes. These cakes are quick to make, sturdy enough to pack up and share with someone, and absolutely delectable! The texture of these cute little cakes is somewhere between cake and a dense shortbread cookie and the cherry filling gives them a burst of fresh flavor. They really are perfect with tea, but would also be lovely with a glass of cold milk. The best part is that this recipe makes 24 cakes, so there are plenty to share with a friend or neighbor! Is there someone in your life who could use some tea and cakes today?
Cherry Almond Tea Cakes
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter and flour a 24-cup mini muffin pan. In a large mixing bowl with a whisk, or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and continue to mix a few seconds, until combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and mix, either beating with a wooden spoon or in the stand mixer on low speed, until a dry, crumbly dough forms. Scoop out 2 Tablespoons of the dough and form into a fat disc. Press one thumb into the center of the disc, forming a small indentation on the top. Place the indented disc into one of the cups of the mini muffin pan and repeat with the remaining dough until all 24 cups are filled.
Fill the indentation in each cake with 1/2 teaspoon cherry preserves and top the preserves with one of the jarred cherries. Bake the filled cakes in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. If desired, dust the tops of the cakes with powdered sugar just before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter and flour a 24-cup mini muffin pan. In a large mixing bowl with a whisk, or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and continue to mix a few seconds, until combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and mix, either beating with a wooden spoon or in the stand mixer on low speed, until a dry, crumbly dough forms. Scoop out 2 Tablespoons of the dough and form into a fat disc. Press one thumb into the center of the disc, forming a small indentation on the top. Place the indented disc into one of the cups of the mini muffin pan and repeat with the remaining dough until all 24 cups are filled.
Fill the indentation in each cake with 1/2 teaspoon cherry preserves and top the preserves with one of the jarred cherries. Bake the filled cakes in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. If desired, dust the tops of the cakes with powdered sugar just before serving.
