My daughter Paula called me before Christmas because a fellow worker wanted my recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. Paula was at work so didn’t have her recipe at hand, so she went to her momma’s site but couldn’t find the recipe. And no wonder! My favorite cookie recipe and the one that always appears at the top of my list for “goodies that simply must be made at Christmas” had never been published. What! Wait! How could this be right? But sure enough, this fabulous recipe had never left my fingertips and as if by magic, landed on this site. The only reason I can think of to justify this omission, is that I practically have this recipe memorized. (Or I used to have it memorized when I still had my full set of faculties. Now I have to read, re-read, and then check off ingredients as I place them in the mixer. (Getting older can be a bit trying at times. Hopefully none of you can relate. But if you can, I sympathize.)
Anyway, here is my recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. (And I know. Most of you already have a great recipe for these fabulous and easy to make cookies. But for those who don’t, I felt compelled to share the recipe with you.)
Well, that’s it for today. I’m totally burned out from making reservations for our upcoming trailer trips, so I think I’ll keep this short and treat myself to an afternoon helping the protagonist in the book I’m reading figure out who done it. (I’m very good at being an armchair detective.)
Have a great new year. Stay healthy. Stay positive, and don’t forget to laugh. Laughter is so good for us, and although laughter can be contagious, it’s not infectious. And isn’t that refreshing!
Peace and love to all.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. vanilla
2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. finely chopped walnuts
Cream the butter, ½ cup of powdered sugar, and vanilla together. Add the flour, salt, and finely chopped walnuts.
Use a small ice cream scoop or roll the dough by hand into 1-inch balls. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be a very light golden brown when they are done. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
When cool, sprinkle* with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.
*The best (and least messy) way to coat the top of the cookies with powdered sugar is to place the cooled cookies back on your baking pan, then scoop a bit of powdered sugar into a small, fine sieve (strainer) and shake over the cookies. (You don’t have to coat the bottom of the cookies.) Let sit for about 30 minutes before storing.