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Posts Tagged ‘Russian Tea Cakes’

Two Sundays before Christmas has become somewhat of a tradition in our family for two of our children to come to our house and bake cookies.   Jenn and Pat have done this together for the past 15 years or so.

My husband and I are not allowed to comment, make suggestions, or watch.

This year the results of their afternoon are Swedish Nut Cups, Russian Tea Cakes and of course Thumbprint Cookies.  I am told that our daughter, Jenn, has the perfect size thumb for the Thumbprint cookies.   It is a lot of fun, but the cookies are generally gone within a day or two.

Following are the recipes they used this year.  If you try any of them, try the Swedish Nut Cups, they are delicious!

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

1/2 c. soft shortening
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
chopped nuts
1 egg white

Combine shortening, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt. Stir into batter.

Roll into 1 inch balls and dip into slightly beaten egg white.

Roll the balls in the chopped nuts. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 5 minutes at 375°F. Remove cookies from oven and press a thumb into the center of each cookie. Return and bake for 8 more minutes. Spoon jelly or icing into the impression made by your thumbprint.

Russian Tea Cakes (also called Snowball cookies in this house)

Ingredients

* 1 cup butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners’ sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.

Swedish Nut Cups
These are really cute and yummy, plus they’re a nice change from typical Christmas cookies.

Dough: Filling:
1 Cup butter,softened(2sticks) 2 Cups chopped pecans
2 Cups flour 2 I5p’PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
2 Soz.pkgs.cream cheese,room temperature 2 eggs
2 CuPs brownsugar,tightly Packed
2 tsp. butter

Dough:Combine the butter,flour and cream cheese together. Mix well. Press tablespoon-sized pieces of dough
into the bottom and up the sides of greased mini-muffin tins. chill at least t hour.

Filling: Preheat oven to 375″. Mix together the butter with brown sugar’ Add the eggs, blending after each
addition. stir in the VANILLA. Add the pecans and stir by hand to combine. Fill the muffrn cups with 1 teaspoon
of filling. Bake at 375″ for 24-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing to completely cool on a
wire rack.

Prep. time: 10 minutes plus chilling time
Baking time: 24-30 minute-s
Yield:4 dozen

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