Description
Russian Tea Cakes are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies rolled in powdered sugar. These classic treats are tender, nutty, and perfect for holidays or any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (90 g) finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
- Optional: ½ tsp almond extract
- Optional: Zest of ½ orange or lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and ½ cup of powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour and salt to the butter mixture, stirring until the dough begins to come together.
- Fold in the finely chopped nuts. If the dough feels too dry, add 1–2 teaspoons of water or milk.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a smooth ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops remain pale.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Gently roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.
- Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once fully cooled, roll each cookie in powdered sugar a second time for a snowy finish.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter for the best texture.
- Do not overbake; the cookies should stay pale on top.
- Rolling the cookies in powdered sugar while warm helps it stick better.
- Finely chop the nuts to prevent cracking.
- Use a small cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies.
- For a nut-free version, omit the nuts and add a few extra tablespoons of flour if the dough is too soft.
- Substitute gluten-free flour for a gluten-free variation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: N/A
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: N/A
- Unsaturated Fat: N/A
- Trans Fat: N/A
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: N/A