Russian Tea Cakes Mexican Wedding Cakes Cookies Food

EASY MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES RECIPE

Steps:

• For the Dough: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine pecans and powdered sugar in a 10-inch stainless steel skillet and toast in oven until fragrant but not deeply browned, 12 to 15 minutes. When pecans and sugar have cooled to room temperature, combine with flour, cold butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. (Save the skillet for step 2.) Pulse until pecan pieces disappear, then continue pulsing to form a stiff dough.
• To Finish: Sprinkle about half of powdered sugar into skillet, then divide dough into 20 half-ounce portions (I use a #60 scoop). Tumble each piece in powdered sugar until fully coated and roll into a ball. When all pieces have been rounded up, shake skillet so the cookie dough rolls around, collecting more sugar. Arrange on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and bake until puffed and firm, about 18 minutes. Cool to room temperature directly on sheet pan and sift remaining powdered sugar on top.

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.

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!).

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Cream Sugar-Butter Mixture: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat set aside. In a stand mixer (or use a handheld electric mixer), cream the unsalted butter, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla together, until combined.
• Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt, then combine with a whisk.
• Make the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the nuts. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch-sized dough balls and space them evenly out on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in a 400°F preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should bake until set but not be browned. When they are still warm, roll them in the confectioner's sugar. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack and then roll them again. (see notes for storage guidelines).

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 / 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.

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.