'Tis the season...
Because I was typing this up for a friend, I thought I'd share. Apparently, my Russian Tea Cookies/Mexican Wedding Cookies are legendary. It's not so much the recipe (as it's fairly standard), as it is the technique. You see these a lot at Christmas and most of the time, by the time you get at them, all the powdered sugar has fallen off, but not the way I make them. My technique may cause a little finger blistering, but it's well worth it. And, don't get discouraged if one or two crumble when you try to roll them...it happens. Just be as gentle as you can. They're a very dry cookie and are prone to crumbling. And as is indicated by the title, lovely with tea or coffee. Not that I actually eat them (okay. maybe one or two) as I like staying in my skinny jeans, but I do so like fattening up my friends and family. :)
Russian Tea Cookies
1 cup softened butter (must use butter, cannot substitute margarine)
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
more sifted powdered sugar for rolling
Mix first three ingredients together. In another bowl, mix flour and salt together. Add flour and salt mixture to butter, sugar and vanilla mixture.
Add nuts and mix with hands. (Insert raunchy remark regarding nuts and hands here.)
Shape dough into a large ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight or at least three hours. Roll into 1 inch balls (this recipe really is hard to type with a straight face. it's balls and nuts everywhere!). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. As an aside, if the dough is too firm you might have to leave it out to warm up a bit before rolling the balls. I usually just take a knife and quarter the dough as it will warm up faster that way. But don't let the dough warm up too much or else the cookies will not hold their shape when you bake them.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Cookies should be set, but pale not brown and slightly golden on the bottom.
This is the important bit. You must now roll the balls in sifted powered sugar. The first roll needs to be done within 60 seconds of pulling them from the oven. You will burn your fingers, but it will pay off in a sticky covering of melted powdered sugar that will glue all subsequent layers of powdered sugar to the cookie...which is why my cookies are the tastiest. Roll balls in the shifted powdered sugar 3 more times and you're done.
Happy Holidays!
Russian Tea Cookies
1 cup softened butter (must use butter, cannot substitute margarine)
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
more sifted powdered sugar for rolling
Mix first three ingredients together. In another bowl, mix flour and salt together. Add flour and salt mixture to butter, sugar and vanilla mixture.
Add nuts and mix with hands. (Insert raunchy remark regarding nuts and hands here.)
Shape dough into a large ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight or at least three hours. Roll into 1 inch balls (this recipe really is hard to type with a straight face. it's balls and nuts everywhere!). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. As an aside, if the dough is too firm you might have to leave it out to warm up a bit before rolling the balls. I usually just take a knife and quarter the dough as it will warm up faster that way. But don't let the dough warm up too much or else the cookies will not hold their shape when you bake them.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Cookies should be set, but pale not brown and slightly golden on the bottom.
This is the important bit. You must now roll the balls in sifted powered sugar. The first roll needs to be done within 60 seconds of pulling them from the oven. You will burn your fingers, but it will pay off in a sticky covering of melted powdered sugar that will glue all subsequent layers of powdered sugar to the cookie...which is why my cookies are the tastiest. Roll balls in the shifted powdered sugar 3 more times and you're done.
Happy Holidays!