Russian Tea Cakes

"Nice little cookies that go perfectly with a good strong cup of tea."
 
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photo by Swirling F. photo by Swirling F.
photo by Swirling F.
photo by CookieMonster2323 photo by CookieMonster2323
photo by Deisy S. photo by Deisy S.
photo by Swirling F. photo by Swirling F.
photo by Swirling F. photo by Swirling F.
Ready In:
19mins
Ingredients:
7
Serves:
48
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.
  • Stir in flour and salt.
  • Stir in nuts.
  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
  • Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set but not brown.
  • Immediately remove from cookie sheet; roll in powdered sugar.
  • Cool completely on wire rack.
  • Roll in powdered sugar again.

Questions & Replies

  1. Can you freeze the baked cookies? I'd love to be able to bring these out when I have unexpected guests. My grandmother used to make these cookies!
     
  2. Making these for the first time, my Mom use to make them and I loved them. My Mom has passed and I can't ask her so I'm here asking , what kind of nuts do you use, is one kind better then another. Thank you so much for the help.
     
  3. is this a good resipe for school homework for conary arts ?
     
  4. This is the best recipe for these cookies. One warning....don't use black walnuts! Does everyone know that? I did one time years ago and the black walnuts made the cookies bitter! And, Yes! I often freeze them!
     
  5. I have made these cookies twice now and they have flopped. I know how to follow a recipe and have made cookies from scratch before. I don't know what is going on. The first time be batter was super dry. The second time I added more butter and confectionery sugar. The batter tasted good but the baked product was dry and crumbly when you ate it.
     
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Reviews

  1. Yes, these are wonderful, Christmas cookies. Yes, they come from the 1956 edition of Betty Crocker. The actual directions instruct to chill the dough, and bake them for 10-12 minutes. You don't have to put them 2" apart because they don't spread. I made them this Christmas (family tradition), and I did get 48 cookies out of the recipe.
     
  2. These were amazing. I baked for 10 minutes both times with this recipe and they turned out perfect. I always add just a few drops of almond extract with Russian Tea Cakes for an extra special hint of flavor and everyone just RAVES about how good they are. I bring them to Christmas parties and they are always the favorite and first to be eaten. I never refrigerate and I pack em on one pan as they do not spread. I also triple dip them in the powdered sugar, starting right out the oven when they are super hot.
     
  3. VERY small recipe..next time I will double. Also, if dough seems dry, knead it in your hands a bit, not only softens the butter but the balls won't crack.
     
  4. These are the ones we've been making for 30 years. We all thougth these were handed down from our German grandmother, imagine the disappointment when we learned Betty C. was the originator. Althought these are perfectly fine & delicious cookies, I ONLY use pecans and double the batch with one half subbing the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for brown sugar (light or dark--dark is more intense). Same process.
     
  5. I have a question!? Is the powdered sugar one of the ingredients that I'm supposed to "mix in" to the batter? or is the 1/2 cup powdered sugar what I'm supposed to be rolling the balls in?
     
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Tweaks

  1. For a nice twist, try lemon flavoring instead of vanilla! Melt-in-your-mouth goodness!!
     
  2. I've made these cookies off/on since I was a teen and I'm past my 50's now. I always made them with black walnuts which made them stand out compared to regular walnuts. Delicious!!!
     
  3. pecans instead of walnuts and more butter
     
  4. Replaced the butter with Earth Balance, which made these totally vegan. These cookies are the perfect sweet, buttery bite!
     
  5. Excellent recipe. I've been making these since I learned to cook, many, many years ago. I wanted to post a variation, I use on this recipe. Instead of using powdered sugar to roll them in, use equal parts granulated sugar and cocoa, with a pinch of cinnamon. Yummy.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm a freelance writer who writes a syndicated newspaper column, and LOVES to cook and experiment with traditional and non-food recipes! More about me at http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net
 
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