Russian Tea Cakes are bites of melt-in-your-mouth perfection, covered with extra powdered sugar and loaded with almond slivers.
Happy Holidays my food-loving friends! I’m going to be brief today, considering we all have our families, food, and booze to get to. But just in case you’re in need of one more Christmas cookie to make, or decide you need a little treat post-holiday craze, these Russian Tea Cakes are going to make your life so. much. better.
My mom and I make these balls of melt-in-your-mouth goodness every year right before Christmas. We’re firm believers in making the cookies the weekend, or a few days before, because fresh cookies are the best way to go. I have mentioned before, that warm cookies just might be the be all end all of greatness. There is no better time for warm cookies than right around Christmas.
So, back to the Russian Tea Cakes. I have never known a Christmas without them. The powder sugar melts in your mouth, and its addition to the batter makes the cookies extra moist. Filled with almond sliver pieces to add an extra “crunch”.
The key is to pull them out when they’re just set, barely browned. Trust me. When you say “maybe not yet” just pull them out. I’ve made this mistake before – and they’ll still taste just so gosh darn good, but they reach perfection when they’re not over-cooked in the least. So then… straight out of the oven and still warm, they get their first coating of powdered sugar.
Let them cool a little while longer, as the first coating of powder sugar melts in (hence, melt-in-your-mouth goodness). Then go ahead and roll ’em again, coating them with a layer of powder sugar that will remain.
They’re perfect with a cup of tea (I mean, they are tea cakes) or your morning coffee. Yes, the best excuse to have cookies for breakfast.
Get the Recipe Russian Tea Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar + extra for dipping
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chopped almond slivers
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, combine softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla in large bowl.
- Slowly mix in flour, nuts, and salt until dough holds together.
- Using a 1-inch scoop or spoons, shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet (I always use parchment paper).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until set but not brown.
- Once cookies are out of the oven, roll in powdered sugar. Cool cookies and roll in powdered sugar again.
Notes
