Russian Teacakes are my downfall. I have a hard time keeping my hands out of the cookie jar. It’s why I only make them at the holidays.
Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Jewish Wedding Cakes, Pecan Butter balls, Snow balls, even Golden Nut Balls. These cookies go by many names. What ever they are called, I could eat a whole batch. I love how they just hold together and fall apart as you bite them into tender morsels, full of nuts and vanilla. A similar cookie is made in many regions of the world sometimes with hazelnuts or almonds. There is a crescent shaped version made with almonds and vanilla that the lovely Croatian ladies who clean backstage, where I work, bring in at Christmas that are incredible. I keep trying to get the recipe, but as of yet I’ve not gotten them to give it to me. I’m determined though. AND I WILL PREVAIL!!!!!
Here in the US pecans are usually the choice of nut. Some legends about these cookies suggest that some nuns who settled in Mexico brought them over from Europe. One of the most common nuts the nuns would have found to cook with in Mexico would have been the pecan. Hence the story goes. The name Russian Tea Cakes probably came from in the early 20th century these delicious cookies were served with tea. Whatever they are called, I love them.
These Russian teacakes are very easy to make. Using a small cookie scoop, you can make consistent sized balls very easily. A small ice cream or cookie scoop can be found in most cooking stores. They are inexpensive, and they are very handy to have. In the past I have used vanilla beans freshly scraped from a bean to give even more vanilla flavor. But, with the price of vanilla beans skyrocketing, I have substituted vanilla bean paste here. Most of the recipes I know have a teaspoon of vanilla. Here, I’ve added loads more, making them very vanilla in a good way. I think they are awesome, but dare I say, dangerous to my waistline.
Powdered Sugar balls of pecans and vanilla These cookies are little balls of goodness.
- 2 sticks unsalted butter 16 tablespoons
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste if you are lucky to have vanilla bean use the beans from 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups pecans 8 ounces
- 2 cups powdered sugar for finishing
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Toast your pecans for 10 minutes in a 350° oven. Let cool briefly and chop finely in a food processor or by hand. You don’t want to grind them to a paste, there still should be small pieces, so be careful.
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Set the racks of your oven: one the top 3rd and the other the bottom 3rd. Turn down the oven to 325°.
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In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar and salt until fluffy and light, about 3 minutes.
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Beat in the vanilla and the vanilla bean paste. Again beat for a minute or so until the mixture is light and fluffy.
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Remove the bowl from the mixer, and by hand, stir in the flour and pecans. It will be dry at first but will come together.
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Using a cookie scoop or by hand measure out 1 heaping tablespoon of the dough and gently roll into a ball.
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Place onto a cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper,. about 1 ½ inches apart. They will not spread much. Repeat with all the dough. There is enough for 2 cookie sheets worth.
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Have a rimmed pan or plate for rolling the cookies ready, filled with sifted powdered sugar.
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Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. The cookies will not be fully browned but will be golden brown on the bottom.
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While still hot, in small batches roll the cookies in powdered sugar, and let cool keeping them separated.
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Roll again when they are completely cool.
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Keep in an airtight container, and they will last for a couple of weeks, if you can keep your hands away from them. I can’t!
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