Russian Tea Cakes Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
36 cookies
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Calories
99 kcal
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Course
Dessert, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Russian Tea Cakes Recipe
Description
The Russian Tea Cakes recipe combines butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a smooth cream, then incorporates flour, salt, and toasted walnuts to create a lumpy dough. The cookies are shaped into small, uniform balls and baked at a high temperature until their edges just turn golden. The final step involves rolling the warm cookies in additional powdered sugar, which gives them a characteristic snowy appearance and a melt-in-the-mouth texture. The walnuts add a subtle crunch and nutty aroma that complement the buttery base.
This recipe yields about 36 cookies, making it suitable for sharing or gift-giving. The crisp outer sugar coating and the tender interior balance nicely, offering a crumbly bite that is lightly sweetened with vanilla. The use of toasted walnuts enhances the aroma and adds depth to the simple ingredients.
Because the cookies are small and individually portioned, they pair well with tea or coffee and can be stored for several days in an airtight container. The recipe notes emphasize proper measurement and baking to achieve the ideal texture, and suggest using a cookie scoop for uniformity. These treats are ideal for festive occasions or as a delicate snack.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 lb butter or 16 tbsp, at room temperature, unsalted
- 1 cup walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped
- ½ cup confectioners sugar powdered sugar, plus 2 cups more for rolling cookies
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Quick Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or silicone liner.
- Toast nuts on a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing frequently until fragrant and lightly golden.
How to Make Russian Tea Cakes:
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla, until smooth.
- Add flour and salt and continue mixing until no streaks of flour remain. The mixture will be lumpy. Use a firm spatula to fold in the nuts until evenly incorporated.
- Use a firm spatula to fold in the chopped nuts until evenly incorporated.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls (using a small cookie scoop to portion the dough makes the process easy) and place them on a clean baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Bake at 400˚F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden at the base.
- Fill a bowl with 1 cup powdered sugar and roll the cookie balls in it while they are still very warm then transfer to a platter to cool completely.
- Once cookies are at room temperature, roll them in more powdered sugar to get perfect little snowballs. Cookies may be stored up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Notes
- The recipe produces about 36 cookies, so plan accordingly for servings or storage.
- Using a small cookie scoop helps make consistently sized cookies for even baking.
- Toast walnuts just until fragrant and lightly golden to bring out their flavor without bitterness.
- Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while still warm to achieve a nice coating.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 36cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 99 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 99kcal | 5% |
| Carbs | 7g | |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 14mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 17mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 23mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 158IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 6mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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