Russian Tea Balls Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipes

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES / MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES (COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Toast nuts. Place nuts on a separate baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes (or until lightly brown and fragrant) in a 350 degree F oven. Cool.
• Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour for the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Or the nuts can be hand chopped until very fine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined.
• Stir in the nuts.
• Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.
• Once the dough is firm, form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Roll the semi-cool cookies in the sifted powdered sugar and return to rack to cool completely.
• Store in airtight container for up to 10 days.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Cream Sugar-Butter Mixture: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat set aside. In a stand mixer (or use a handheld electric mixer), cream the unsalted butter, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla together, until combined.
• Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt, then combine with a whisk.
• Make the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the nuts. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch-sized dough balls and space them evenly out on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in a 400°F preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should bake until set but not be browned. When they are still warm, roll them in the confectioner's sugar. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack and then roll them again. (see notes for storage guidelines).

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Mix all the ingredients together with a mixer until well blended. Roll dough into round small balls.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Cool completely then roll in additional confectionary sugar.

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse pecans, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt until mixture resembles coarse meal; add butter and pulse until a dough forms. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap tightly in plastic; refrigerate until firm, 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 level tablespoon. Space 1 1/2 inches apart on two large baking sheets. Bake, switching sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until cookies are just golden around edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer to a rack to cool completely. Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Roll cookies in sugar twice to coat thoroughly, tapping off excess.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

Steps:

• Pulse the nuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until half of them look finely chopped and the rest look pulverized.
• Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
• Wipe the bowl of the FP with a paper towel to remove any excess nut oil.
• Put the granulated sugar in the bowl and process until powdery.
• Add the flour and salt and pulse just to mix.
• Add the butter chunks, vanilla and egg yolk.
• Process until the mixture looks damp and begins to clump together.
• Add the nuts and pulse until combined.
• Transfer dough to another bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, or up to a few days.
• Preheat the oven to 325.
• Shape barely more than level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4" balls or crescent shapes.
• Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (ungreased).
• Bake for 22- 24 minutes or until lightly colored on top and golden brown on bottom.
• Rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
• When the cookies are done, let them cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then gently roll each hot cookie in powdered sugar to coat.
• Cool completely on a rack before storing.
• If desired, you can roll each cookie in powdered sugar again once completely cooled for more even coating.
• Cookies may be stored, airtight, for at least 2 weeks.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
• Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.