Description
Russian Tea Cakes are buttery, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth cookies coated in powdered sugar, offering a delightful combination of tender texture and rich flavor. Traditionally enjoyed during holidays, these bite-sized cookies are made with finely chopped nuts, vanilla, and a tender dough that is chilled and baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Nuts
- 1 1/2 cups nuts (210 grams almond or hazelnuts, 150 grams pecans or walnuts, 170 grams peanuts, 190 grams macadamias, or 255 grams pistachios)
Dry Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (255 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons (225 grams or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into small chunks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk (optional)
Coating
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pulse the Nuts: Pulse the nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade until about half of them are pulverized and the rest are chopped. Transfer the nuts to a separate bowl and wipe the processor bowl with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Prepare Dough: Add granulated sugar to the processor and process until it becomes fine and powdery. Add the flour and salt and pulse to mix. Incorporate the softened butter, vanilla extract, and optional egg yolk; process until the mixture looks damp and starts to clump together. Add the chopped nuts and pulse briefly just to combine. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- Shape and Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds. Shape slightly more than level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 22 to 24 minutes until the tops are lightly colored and the bottoms are golden brown. Halfway through baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back to ensure even baking.
- Prepare Sugar Coating: While the cookies bake, place the powdered sugar in a small bowl for coating.
- Cool and Coat: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes. Then, sift powdered sugar over each cookie. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing.
- Store and Serve: Store the cookies in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks. Before serving, sift additional powdered sugar over the cookies if desired for a fresh coating.
Notes
- The type of nuts can be varied according to preference, with almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios as popular choices.
- Egg yolk is optional but helps bind the dough and adds richness.
- Chilling the dough overnight enhances the flavor and makes shaping easier.
- Rotating the cookie sheets during baking ensures even baking and browning.
- These cookies store well and can be made well in advance of celebrations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
