This is a very special Christmas cookie to me. Growing up I always disliked Russian Teacakes because I needed chocolate in all of my sweets but we baked them for my grandpa, who adored them. The year after he passed away, my mom pointed out that we didn’t need to make Russian Teacakes anymore. I’ve never gone a Christmas without baking them and have since improved upon the recipe. Now I crave these little snowballs!
Russian Teacakes are delicate, nutty little cookies that melt in your mouth. They also make a mess with powdered sugar creating snowy flurries so don’t make them too big – you want to pop them in one bite to minimize the mess! I admit I prefer them as a two-bite cookie. I live on the edge like that. Feel free to make yours smaller!
As far as baking goes, it doesn’t get easier than this. It’s a one-bowl cookie and they never stick to the cookie sheet. I usually just wipe the sheets after. Russian Teacakes are very old fashioned. I stirred the dough together last night with a wooden spoon. As long as your butter is soft, you don’t need an electric mixer, making this an ideal cookie to make at Christmas time when your mixer is surely in the sink or dishwasher as I type this!
Russian Teacakes
Makes 2-4 dozen depending on the size
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cups pecans, lightly toasted and chopped
About 3/4 cup more powdered sugar for rolling
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a spoon or mixer, combine butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Work in flour, salt, and pecans and stir only until the dough comes together.
- Shape into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and slightly brown.
- Transfer to wire rack. While warm, roll in powdered sugar. Let cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar once more.
These are great with coffee or tea and would be delicious with bourbon or amaretto instead of vanilla! Are you baking any Rose Table recipes this Christmas? Send me your pictures or use the hashtag #therosetable so I can see your baking masterpieces.
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Merry Christmas to you and yours,
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Looks too yummy. 🙂
I highly recommend them!
Very delicious cookies, I know them as wedding cookies in Mexico, I suppose the name doesn’t matter, both are delicious !!!
These are wonderful little bites of goodness! The recipe is very forgiving if you don’t go in order. Thank you!
I want to try for my family. Look delicious 😊😊
Hope you love the recipe! Happy holidays. 🙂
I haven’t made these in years, but I LOVE Russian tea cookies. Maybe next year….
There’s still time! 😉 They’re very quick to make. Happy holidays!
My sweet Momma made these every Christmas. They are one of my favorites.
I’m not understanding direction #4. Could you please explain what button means?
Thank you.
Hi, Phyllis! That was a typo. I believe I meant “and slightly brown.” I am fixing the recipe now.
My all-time fav, favorite cookie !!!
I use other nuts too, finely chopped toasted almonds, or chopped walnuts; and I gotta try pistachios.
Your description of the Russian Tea cakes only needing one bowl is great !
I love these cookies I want to make them I want to have the recipe thank you
It’s New Year’s Day, but I’m going to try them anyway. They look delicious.
My mom made these when I was a little girl…they’re delicious! I think I’ll have to make some…soon.
This is the same recipe my mom made every Christmas. Except we called them Pecan Crescent cookies because she would sometimes form them into crescents. I prefer making them into balls because that’s easier. 😉 This is one of my favorite cookie recipes.
I love these cookies! What’s your improvement, not using a mixer, or something else? I must say, not using a mixer is pretty grand! I’ve got my mom’s old mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, and I cannot wait to try this method! Thanks for sharing 💜
Hi, Jan! I adapted this when I was a teenager. Every year my Grandpa insisted we make my Grandmother’s Russian Teacakes. I never had the pleasure of meeting her, as she died when my mom was a teenager. None of us liked the teacakes. After my Grandpa died, I insisted on making the teacakes in his honor but I wanted to improve upon the recipe. The original recipe had called for walnuts. I switched to pecans and toasted them, which added a wonderful flavor. I also doubled the vanilla and made way less but baked them for the same amount of time, so they were bigger, toastier, more vanilla-y, and softer. Everyone loved them and I’ve been making them that way ever since. Of course there are tons of recipes for a similar cookie in many cultures but those are the ways that I improved upon my Grandma’s recipe to make what you see here.
Oh, ok. My mom always used pecans, but never toasted them. I will try that!