IN THE KITCHEN WITH
Mary Godeaux
Meridian woman has been serving up tea cakes for decades
By Monique Harrison Henderson Contributing Writer
Photos by Trenton Steele
Eighty-six-year-old Mary
Godeaux estimates she has made “ thousands and thousands ” of tea cakes in her lifetime , sharing them with family members and friends . More recently , she has made large batches of the simple , sugary cookies for her great-grandchildren ’ s friends and teachers .
“ Everyone seems to want me to make them ,” she said , laughing . “ They aren ’ t hard to make , but for some reason everyone tells me they can ’ t make them like I do . They don ’ t think theirs taste as good . I don ’ t really know why .”
Godeaux got the cookie recipe from her mom , who got it from a lady at her church . She said one change she has made to the five-ingredient recipe is that she uses “ Winn Dixie self-rising flour .” She also is careful to make her cookies extremely thin . Also , instead of cooking at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes , she bakes them at 375 degrees for exactly seven minutes .
Godeaux makes the cookies at least two to three times a week , and visitors to her home can expect for
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Mary Godeaux with her tea cakes , a favorite among family and friends .
20 • TIMELESS MERIDIAN