Russian Tea Cakes Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipes

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 COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on an unprepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners' sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

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).

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.

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.