RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

A traditional Christmas cookie in my house for as long as I can remember.

Made the world over, these delicious cookies are known by many names.  Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Swedish Tea Cakes, Italian Butter Nut, Southern Pecan Butterball, Snowdrop, Viennese Sugar Ball, Sand Tarts, and Snowballs. Call them whatever you want. They’re all so similar that you won’t have a problem renaming them. I do know, however, that some Italian recipes use anise. I am posting my Russian grandmother’s recipe which is the only one I use. The recipe is well over 100 years old.

You can mix them and have the first tray in the oven in less than ten minutes. Love that? I thought you might!

INGREDIENTS:  Yields 40 cookies

Combine:  1 cup soft butter

½ cup sifted confectionery sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp half and half or milk

Sift together:  2 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp salt

Add:  ¾ cup finely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans)

PREPARATION:

Roll dough into 1” balls.  Place 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Raise rack so they don’t burn on the bottom, or use parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.

Bake until set, but not brown.  400* for 10-12 min

While still warm, roll in confectionery sugar.

*NOTE:  The above ingredients are my Grandmother’s.  Me being me, I often add ½ tsp Almond Extract and 2 teaspoons of half and half.  I like the texture better.

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By Tika for CHEW WANNA EAT? © 2016