Russian Teacakes Or Mexican Wedding Cakes Food

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.

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 / 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:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla then gradually add the 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, measure, then sift again with the salt. Add gradually to the butter mixture. Add the pecans and mix well.
• Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly using the bottom of a glass, then bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and roll in powdered sugar while still hot. Cool on wire racks and roll cookies again in powdered sugar before serving.
• Once they are completely cooled, cookies may be stored in airtight containers for up to 1 week.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• First, brown the butter: Place the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat to cook. Check it after about 7 minutes; it should be a medium-brown color, not too light but not too burnt. Once it reaches that color, take it off the heat and let it cool. Refrigerate to continue to cool for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 half sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Add the cold browned butter, flour, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon to a food processor; process until light and fluffy. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the walnuts and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
• Using a small ice cream scoop, portion 48 mounds of the dough onto your prepared sheet pans, spacing them 2 inches apart. Place in the freezer to cool for 15 minutes.
• Bake until the cookies are firm and smell nutty and toasty, 15 to 18 minutes. Rotate the pans 180 degrees halfway through baking.
• Meanwhile, place additional powdered sugar in another large bowl. Once the cookies are out of the oven, let cool for exactly 6 minutes 30 seconds then toss in the powdered sugar. Enjoy!

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.

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.