Russian Tea Balls Mexican Wedding Cakes Food

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES / MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES (COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Toast nuts. Place nuts on a separate baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes (or until lightly brown and fragrant) in a 350 degree F oven. Cool.
• Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour for the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Or the nuts can be hand chopped until very fine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined.
• Stir in the nuts.
• Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.
• Once the dough is firm, form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Roll the semi-cool cookies in the sifted powdered sugar and return to rack to cool completely.
• Store in airtight container for up to 10 days.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
• Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

Steps:

• Pulse the nuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until half of them look finely chopped and the rest look pulverized.
• Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
• Wipe the bowl of the FP with a paper towel to remove any excess nut oil.
• Put the granulated sugar in the bowl and process until powdery.
• Add the flour and salt and pulse just to mix.
• Add the butter chunks, vanilla and egg yolk.
• Process until the mixture looks damp and begins to clump together.
• Add the nuts and pulse until combined.
• Transfer dough to another bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, or up to a few days.
• Preheat the oven to 325.
• Shape barely more than level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4" balls or crescent shapes.
• Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (ungreased).
• Bake for 22- 24 minutes or until lightly colored on top and golden brown on bottom.
• Rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
• When the cookies are done, let them cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then gently roll each hot cookie in powdered sugar to coat.
• Cool completely on a rack before storing.
• If desired, you can roll each cookie in powdered sugar again once completely cooled for more even coating.
• Cookies may be stored, airtight, for at least 2 weeks.

FAVOURITE MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES - PECAN COOKIE BALLS!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt; beat until well blended. Stir in flour and pecans.
• Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheets. Immediately roll hot cookies in the confectioners sugar. Place sugared cookies on wire racks to cool.
• When cool, roll again in sugar at least once but I like to do it twice for a better finish.

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES AKA RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, with a fork or pastry blender cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Stir in pecans. Shape tablespoonfuls into 2 inch balls (or slightly smaller). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.
• 2. NOTE: If cookies tend to spread in the oven, instead of remaining in ball shape, chill dough thoroughly before baking and check oven temperature.

RUSSIAN WEDDING CAKES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients thoroughly (if you find it easier to cream the sugar and butter first go ahead but it isn't necessary if you don't want to take the extra step).
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for around 8 minutes (they burn easily) on middle rack at 400 degrees until set but not brown.
• While warm, roll in confectioner's sugar. Let cool, and roll in sugar again.

WEDDING COOKIES (SNOWBALLS, RUSSIAN TEA CAKES)

Steps:

• Blend softened butter with powdered sugar. Add vanilla.
• Mix in salt, baking powder, flour and chopped pecans.
• Form dough into 1 inch balls or flattened cookies and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for 12 minutes, until firm but not brown. While hot roll in powdered sugar. Let cool and roll again in powdered sugar.

PECAN PUFFS (AKA MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES OR RUSSIAN TEA CAKES)

Steps:

• Cream butter, add sugar and remaining ingredients.
• Roll into small balls, and place on cookie sheet.
• Bake in 325 F oven for 30 minutes.
• Roll balls into powdered sugar when hot, and again when cool.
• Note: These cookies taste best when thoroughly cooled (ie best served the next day--if you can wait!).