Christmas Cookies Russian Tea Cakes
These classic Russian tea cakes are tender, buttery cookies studded with toasted pecans and flavored with vanilla. After baking, each cookie receives two coatings of confectioners’ sugar, creating the characteristic snowy finish and delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture that makes them especially suitable for Christmas baking.
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Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ¾ cup toasted pecans finely chopped
- 2¼ cups plain all-purpose flour
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract preferably Madagascar bourbon vanilla
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
For the Sugar Coating
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted until free of lumps
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner to prevent sticking.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Place the softened butter and ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until the mixture becomes creamy and completely smooth.
- Add the vanilla. Pour in the vanilla extract and continue beating until it has been thoroughly incorporated into the butter mixture.
- Form the dough. Gradually blend in the all-purpose flour and salt using low speed. Mix only until the ingredients come together and a dough forms.
- Incorporate the pecans. Fold the finely chopped toasted pecans into the dough, distributing them as evenly as possible throughout the mixture.
- Shape and refrigerate. Portion the dough by the tablespoon and gently roll each piece into a ball. Transfer the shaped dough to a plate or tray, then refrigerate for approximately 1 hour. Chilling helps the cookies retain their rounded shape during baking.
- Arrange for baking. Once chilled, place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving approximately 1–2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 7–10 minutes, or until the undersides are only lightly golden. Baking times may vary, so monitor the cookies closely near the end.
- Cool briefly. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the cookies on the pan for several minutes, just until they are cool enough to handle without breaking.
- Apply the first sugar coating. Place the 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. While the cookies are still slightly warm, gently roll each one through the sugar until completely covered. Some of the coating will soften and partially melt against the warm surface.
- Cool completely. Transfer the sugar-coated cookies to a wire cooling rack and leave them until they have reached room temperature.
- Coat a second time. Once completely cool, roll each cookie in confectioners’ sugar again to create a thick, snowy exterior.
Notes
Keep the finished Russian tea cakes in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. Properly stored, they will remain fresh for up to one week.