{"id":429,"date":"2014-12-11T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2014-12-11T07:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betondinner.com\/?p=429"},"modified":"2018-12-25T01:20:04","modified_gmt":"2018-12-25T01:20:04","slug":"russian-tea-cookies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betondinner.com\/russian-tea-cookies\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian Tea Cookies (Christmas Cookie Week)."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"russian<\/a><\/p>\n

Welcome back to Christmas Cookie Week! Today’s treat is Russian Tea Cookies (which seem to have many aliases – Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowballs, and Sand Tarts are ones I’ve heard). I love these nutty little cookies, with their delicate crunch and buttery richness.<\/p>\n

\"russian<\/a><\/p>\n

\"russian<\/a><\/p>\n

My mom snapped a picture of her recipe card for me – typed on a script typewriter by\u00a0her<\/em> mom. My mom’s notes are pencilled in. Don’t you just love that? These cookies have been\u00a0part of a lot of Christmases!<\/p>\n

First, you need finely chopped pecans. Growing up, we had a handy little nut grinder like this<\/a>, and I\u00a0loved<\/em>\u00a0turning the crank and watching the measurement line to get just the right amount. Alas, I had one of my own and purged it before one of our (7 in 8 years) moves. This is why I hold onto things! Because of this kind of remorse!<\/em> So now I have to chop up my pecans by hand…but it’s still oddly satisfying and enjoyable.<\/p>\n

\"pecans<\/a>You want a pretty fine chop – I wasn’t done in this picture – so the dough stays together when you roll it!<\/em><\/p>\n

The dough is really simple: butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, flour, and nuts. I’m an unashamed cookie dough taster, but last Christmas I was pregnant – so I ate extra, extra Russian Tea Cookie dough since it doesn’t have eggs!\u00a0Go easy on your flour measuring so the dough rolls easily (mine was a little dry this time).<\/p>\n

\"mixing<\/a><\/p>\n

\"russian<\/a><\/p>\n

Roll the dough into balls. Since there’s no baking soda or baking powder, the cookies will stay\u00a0whatever size you make them (this also means they can be pretty cozy on the baking sheet). I always make them a little too big – the powdered sugar coating:cookie ratio\u00a0is best when the cookies are small!<\/p>\n

\"russian<\/a>My helper was really good at shaping the cookies!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The cookies are done when they’re just getting brown. This is when the magic happens – they get their first roll in powdered sugar when they’re still warm from the oven, and it melts a little and creates\u00a0an icing-y layer with the toasty outside of the cookie. The second roll happens when they’re cool, and gives them a powdery dusting.<\/p>\n

\"toasty<\/a><\/p>\n

\"russian<\/a><\/p>\n

These are so, so tasty! And so easy to pop into your mouth every time you’re in the kitchen, even if you’re sneaking around since you just told your child\u00a0they couldn’t have any more. Ahem. Just watch out for the powdered sugar snow on your shirt!<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>If you make something called a tea cookie, be prepared to have lots of tea parties!<\/em><\/p>\nPrint<\/a>

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