Russian tea cakes, also known as Mexican wedding cakes or balls of butter, are a type of biscuit made with butter, flour, chopped nuts, and powdered sugar. They are rolled into balls, baked, and then rolled in powdered sugar. They are popular during the winter holidays and are often served with tea. They should be labeled as containing nuts and are not recommended to be made with substitutions.
Russian tea cakes are actually a form of biscuit and appear to come from a range of geographical locations. Many believe they originated in the United States, although many people may know these cookies better as Mexican wedding cakes or by the non-geographic but more descriptive name of balls of butter. Made from a few simple ingredients, which may or may not include flour depending on the recipe, these rich, rounded cookies are often popular around the winter holidays.
The main ingredients of Russian tea cakes are a large amount of butter, combined with flour, chopped nuts (usually walnuts or pecans), and powdered sugar. Some recipes suggest using only finely ground peanuts instead of flour. The cookie dough is rolled into balls about one inch in diameter and baked for about eight to ten minutes. The underside of these cookies are prone to burning due to their butterfat content. Using parchment paper on cookie sheets can help reduce this risk.
When the Russian tea cakes are removed from the oven, they are quickly rolled in powdered sugar, and as the biscuits are still warm, an almost icing-like texture is achieved on the outside. Once cool, they can be re-rolled in sugar, so they have both the feel of icing and a top layer of powdered sugar. Russian tea cakes usually keep for about a week in a tight container or can be frozen for a few weeks. They should not be stored until completely fresh.
The simplicity of Russian tea cakes makes them ideal for serving with tea. They aren’t overly sweet, though they are definitely rich. It is not recommended that people use substitutions in the recipes they have for these cookies. Making them with margarine or shortening takes the cookies away from their main characteristic, which is their distinct buttery flavor. Sometimes in Mexican bakeries, lard is used to make Mexican pies, but then they mostly taste like lard, which may or may not be appealing.
A popular use of Russian tea cakes is in Christmas cookie assortments. For thoughtful givers, cookies should be labeled as containing nuts. While the nuts used in the recipes for these cookies are unlikely to cause severe allergies associated with peanuts, which aren’t really nuts, many people have sensitive reactions especially to nuts and feel burning sensations in their mouths when they eat them. With this kind of sensible labeling, Russian tea cakes are a delicious part of biscuit assortments, but there’s no need to limit their use to the holidays. Many people enjoy these cookies all year round.
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