Russian Tea Cake Cookie Recipe, Mexican Wedding Cake Recipe, Swedish Tea Cake Recipe, Cookie Recipes, Christmas Cookie Recipes, Whats Cooking America (2024)

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Russian Tea Cake Cookies are a favorite holiday cookie

These buttery cookies are a melt in your mouth treat. When you bite down into the cookie, you get a powdered sugar mustache and the delicious old-world flavor of nuts. These are a super rich, buttery, and crumbly cookie. Russian Tea Cake Cookies always seem to be a favorite of men and also a favorite Christmas Cookie. I know your family will love these as much as mine does.

They are known by many different names around the world, such as Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, Swedish Tea Cakes, Italian Butter Nut, Southern Pecan Butterball, Snowdrop, Viennese Sugar Ball, Sand Tarts, and Snowballs. Regardless of what they are called, they always contain finely chopped nuts and are twice rolled in powdered sugar.

More favorite Cookie Recipes and Secrets To Making Perfect Cookies. Also learn How To Have A Successful Holiday Cookie Exchange or Cookie Swap.

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Russian Tea Cakes Recipe:

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

32 mins

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:Russian

Keyword:Russian Tea Cakes Recipe, Russian Teacake Cookies Recipe

Servings: 4 dozen

Author: What's Cooking America

Ingredients

  • 1cupbutter,room temperature
  • 1/2cuppowdered sugar(confectioners' sugar), sifted
  • 2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4cupsflour(all-purpose)
  • 1/4teaspoonsalt
  • 3/4cupnutsof your choice, toasted and finely-chopped**
  • Powdered sugar(confectioners' sugar)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

  2. Sift in flour and salt; stir until well mixed. Mix in nuts. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

  4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Tip: A small ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.

  5. Place dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets with about 1-inch of space between them. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly on wire cooling racks.

  6. While cookies are baking, place the powdered sugar in a shallow dish. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar until completely coated. When cookies have cooled, roll them again in the confectioners sugar to give them a nice even coating of sugar. The first rolling allows the sugar to melt into the cookies - the second rolling gives the finished snowy-white topping.

  7. Store in an airtight container.

  8. Variation: Substitute 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips for the nuts.

Recipe Notes

* To ensure recipe success, do not use self-rising flour.

** How to toast nuts - Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking pan (one with walls is best) for toasting in the oven. Cook at 400 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes or until the nuts start to turn golden. Shake the pan halfway through toasting.

Source: This recipe is originally from a 1950’s Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Russian Tea Cake Cookie Recipe, Mexican Wedding Cake Recipe, Swedish Tea Cake Recipe, Cookie Recipes, Christmas Cookie Recipes, Whats Cooking America (2)

Additional Family Favorite Christmas Cookies:

Honey Butterball Cookies
These holiday Honey Butterball cookies look similar to Mexican Wedding Cakes, Swedish Tea Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, etc., but they are a softer cookie.

High Tea Lemon Cookies
This is an old-fashion recipe that is very rich and delicious. Be prepared though, all your friends will want this recipe after they taste these delicious cookies.

Peppermint Snowballs
This is a great-tasting holiday cookie and these cookies are very pretty on your holiday cookie plate.

Oreo Truffle Balls
This candy/cookie is so easy to make and so good! This no-bake Oreo Truffle Balls makes a great Christmas candy as everyone seems to love them! Everyone who tries them has loved them and wants the recipe.

Pistachio and Cherry Mexican Wedding Cookies
A wonderful and delicious version of the Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Related Recipes

Categories:

Christmas Cookies Cookies Dessert Recipes Molded Cookies

Comments and Reviews

14 Responses to “Russian Tea Cake Cookie Recipe”

  1. Renee

    I’ve enjoyed Russian Tea Cakes since childhood, with my mother’s melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I’ve tried replicating since she passed, but I’ve never achieved the melt-in-your-mouth effect until – I added more butter!!

    Reply

  2. Sandy bohling

    Is dough crumbly? I used this receipe n it is.

    Reply

    • Linda Stradley

      The dough can be a little crumbly. Press the dough into balls.

      Reply

  3. Cheyenne

    Do you just mix the nuts in before rolling the dough into balls?

    Reply

    • Whats Cooking America

      Yes, the recipe instructions tell you to mix the nuts in with the dry ingredients of flour and salt before adding the wet ingredients.

      Reply

  4. Lorrie Andersen

    i’ve been making these cookies since 1978, every year for Christmas. They are easy to make and are my sons favorite cookies. We just love these.

    Reply

  5. Elizabeth Wilson

    Have you tried using 1/2 cup Crisco and 1/2 cup butter?

    Reply

    • Linda Stradley

      I, personally, never use shortening in my cooking.

      Reply

  6. Linda Erickson

    Lost my recipe for Swedish Tea Balls which contained cake flour instead of all purpose and were baked for like 40 minutes at a low temp. They were way more tender than those made with all purpose. Can anyone help me out? Thanks.

    Reply

  7. Jolene

    My cookies flattened out instead of staying in the ball shape when baked and were very crumbly. Flavor is delicious, but would like to have the traditional ball shape for the cookies. What did I do wrong?

    Reply

    • Whats Cooking America

      Make sure your dough is well chilled before shaping and baking. That will help hold the ball shape when baking.

      Reply

  8. Chelagat

    These were perfect! The recipe I used last Christmas season was too crumbly and frustrating to form into balls. This recipe seems to have the butter to flour ratio just right. I was doubling the recipe and ran out of vanilla so substituted some almond extract, yum.

    Reply

    • Nancy

      Glad you like them, and thank you for stopping by What’s Cooking America! Merry Christmas!

      Reply

  9. Linda Pazdzinski

    Try substituting 1/2 cup of cornstarch for part of the flour. My recipe calls for less flour and it really does melt in your mouth.

    Reply

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Russian Tea Cake Cookie Recipe, Mexican Wedding Cake Recipe, Swedish Tea Cake Recipe, Cookie Recipes, Christmas Cookie Recipes, Whats Cooking America (3)

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Russian Tea Cake Cookie Recipe, Mexican Wedding Cake Recipe, Swedish Tea Cake Recipe, Cookie Recipes, Christmas Cookie Recipes, Whats Cooking America (2024)

FAQs

Why did my Mexican wedding cakes flatten? ›

Mexican wedding cookies can flatten for two reasons: if they are overmixed, or if they are baked without chilling. They should be mixed just until the dough comes together in a ball. I recommend chilling the dough for at least one hour so that the butter gets very cold and the cookies don't spread in the oven.

Where did Russian tea cakes originate from? ›

Some have speculated the recipes either derived from other Eastern European shortbread cookies, may have migrated to Mexico with European nuns, or may have been associated with cookies served beside Russian samovars (tea urns).

What is the difference between Mexican wedding cookies and Italian wedding cookies? ›

Italian wedding cookies typically contain almonds or hazelnuts and are flavored with almond extract, vanilla extracts and spices like cinnamon or anise. Mexican wedding cookies, on the other hand, use a combination of ground nuts such as pecans and walnuts, as well as butter, sugar and sometimes chocolate chips.

What is special about Russian tea? ›

Traditional tea in Russia includes the traditional type known as Russian Caravan as it was originally imported from China via camel caravan. As the trip was very long, usually taking as long as sixteen to eighteen months, the tea acquired its distinctive smoky flavor from the caravan's campfires.

What does Russian tea taste like? ›

This black tea is smoky and smoldering. Its flavors are analogous to that of our Lapsang Souchong and it is described on our website as almost "pipe-ready". The smokiness that you taste in this tea will remind you of the deep breaths that you inhale around a summer campfire.

Why did my pecan balls go flat? ›

You want the cookies to roll into a ball nicely and hold their shape while baking. If you found your cookies to spread too much in the oven, there are a host of things that can cause this. Your butter could be too warm. You may have improperly measured the flour or the sugar (use that scoop and level method!).

Why did cake go flat? ›

Underbaking is one of the most frequent reasons that cakes and quick breads collapse. Baking times are essential guides, but ovens and cake pans vary, so checking for doneness with a cake tester is the ultimate insurance against underbaking.

Why do couples cut cake at wedding? ›

As you may have predicted, the cutting of the cake is a symbol of the couple's love and commitment to one another. It's a public display that they are willing to share everything, including their food and drink, for the rest of their lives.

Which cake did not originate in Germany? ›

German chocolate cake, trimmed with coconut and pecan icing, does not originate from Germany. The rich dessert is credited to a Texas homemaker who sent her recipe to a Dallas newspaper in 1957.

What is Louisiana Russian cake? ›

Russian Cake is prepared by mixing our almond cake, gold cake and devil's food cake with raspberry jelly, rum flavor and a hint of anise oil (licorice flavor). It is then topped with buttercream and nonpareils (aka sprinkles).

What is tea called in Russia? ›

In Russia, the most common preparation of tea is called zavarka—and the key here is that it's not about what kind of tea you brew, but how you brew it.

What is a Sicilian wedding cake? ›

Cassata Siciliana. An even more traditional idea could be one of the most famous Sicilian cakes – the “Cassata” – a moist sponge layered cake filled with creamy ricotta and candied fruits and covered with icing and almond marzipan that can be coloured and decorated in every way imaginable!

What is Italian wedding candy? ›

True expression of the historical Italian pastries tradition, Confetti Milano flavoured almonds are the original Italian sweets used for Weddings, Bridal Shower, Baptisms, Baby Shower, first Holy Communions, Confirmations.

What is the name of the Italian cookie? ›

This is the proper name for the biscuit we know as biscotti, which in Italian just means “cookies.” Twice-baked and sliced, these ultra-crunchy, not-too-sweet biscuits are usually studded with nuts and simply beg to be dipped in coffee, tea, or a glass of vin santo.

What is Russian candy made of? ›

Made with beet sugar, condensed milk and sugar syrup, it's also infused with a surprising secret ingredient: cow's blood. The popular nosh was created as a kid-friendly iron supplement.

What is a tea biscuit made of? ›

Traditionally, these digestive aid biscuits were made with whole grain flour, vegetable oil, baking soda, sugar, and malt extract. While this recipe has certainly stood the test of time, I'm a firm believer that every baked good tastes better with butter, so I substitute it for the vegetable oil.

What is Russian cake made of? ›

Most of them seemed to revolve around the concept of making the cake layers from a roll-out, honey flavored, soft cookie dough, and filled with a lightly sweetened sour cream frosting. Some variations called for pourable cake batters to make the layers, and a few had a dulce de leche based frosting.

Why are they called Russian tea cakes? ›

Some people believe that Russian Tea Cakes originated in Eastern Europe, but as far as I could tell, they inherited the name from the 19th-century American fascination with Russian tea culture.

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