The Best Recipe for Russian Tea Cakes | Mexican Wedding Cakes (2024)
(Last Updated On: November 8, 2022)
If you are searching for the best recipe for Russian Tea Cakes, I have just what you need! My friends and family will attest to the fact that I’m a pretty good cook, but it’s not my forte. I would love to have the time to take some cooking and baking classes, buy some REAL cookware and bake ware…you know…do it up right. That’s on my list for the future.
I do have a number of recipes in my back pocket, though, that my family loves. I usually make them around the holidays or other special times. And I’m going to share them with you, for your enjoyment. 🙂
Anyhoo, back to the Russian Tea Cakes. It’s probably a holiday cookie for most of us, but I like to make them whenever I get a hankerin’ for a melt-in-your-mouth butter cookie with a bit of a nutty crunch and a heavenly coating of confectioners sugar. Add a cup of steaming, black coffee to the mix and I’m in heaven.
This particular recipe is one that I’ve had for years and years. It came from an old church cook book that I had when we lived in Detroit. Here is the actual piece of faded, lined paper I wrote it on a long time ago, red pen, ingredient stains and all:
Not to worry, though, the complete recipe can be found below. It’s so simple, only 6 ingredients that most of us have on hand all the time.
There’s not a long prep time for these tasty little morsels, just make sure the butter is at room temperature. It is always a good thing to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, too, so try not to skip that step.
I’m always partial to using pecans as the nutty ingredient, but use whatever type of nut you enjoy.
They don’t have a long bake time, no more than 12 minutes. And they’re really, really good when eaten warm. Just ask me. I have done it often.
Where Did the Name Russian Tea Cakes Originate?
First, you might better know these little round gems as ‘butter balls’, Snowball cookies, or Mexican Wedding Cakes. Although the name might be different, the end result is the same…just plain yummy.
Historically, the cookie started appearing in Russia in the 18th century, where they were used during tea-sharing ceremonies. It is also believed that Eastern Europe is the origin of this cookie, as many shortbread and cookie recipes were a part of European cuisine, made many times by European nuns.
The little cookie traveled from Europe to Mexico between the 18th and 20th century (I can see it now, on a boat, paddling away :), and made it’s way to the general public. By the time the 20th century rolled around, Russian Tea Cakes became a Christmas holiday treat, and they are still associated with that holiday today.
All that said, do we really care where the best recipe for russian tea cakes originated? NO. All I care about is that they taste really, really good and I love them.
So, go check the pantry, pull out these simple ingredients, and bake yourself the best, tastiest little cookie around!
Epicurious has two recipes for these cookies, one labeled “Russian” one labeled “Mexican” and they are exactly the same except for two things: the Russian ones have a quarter-cup of additional nuts replacing a quarter-cup of flour, and the Mexican ones suggest you add an eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon to the powdered ...
Italian wedding cookies typically contain almonds or hazelnuts and are flavored with almond extract, vanilla extracts and spices like cinnamon or anise. Mexican wedding cookies, on the other hand, use a combination of ground nuts such as pecans and walnuts, as well as butter, sugar and sometimes chocolate chips.
Mexican wedding cookies can flatten for two reasons: if they are overmixed, or if they are baked without chilling. They should be mixed just until the dough comes together in a ball. I recommend chilling the dough for at least one hour so that the butter gets very cold and the cookies don't spread in the oven.
In Kent, the teacake is known as a "huffkin", which is often flavoured with hops, especially at the time of harvesting hops in September. In Sussex, a luxurious version of the teacake with added aromatics such as nutmeg, cinnamon and rose water is still sometimes made and called a manchet or Lady Arundel's Manchet.
Tea cakes were initially made by plantation cooks for the guest of white slave owners. These tea cakes, which Etha Robinson describes as rustic approximations of European teacakes1, were typically made with simple ingredients such as sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla when available.
Some people believe that Russian Tea Cakes originated in Eastern Europe, but as far as I could tell, they inherited the name from the 19th-century American fascination with Russian tea culture.
It was traditionally composed of black tea with lemon and sugar, orange and pineapple juices, cinnamon, clove, honey, and lemon or orange wedges for garnish. It was typically afforded only by the elite at this time and enjoyed during the cold of winter as a way to warm up.
Many Mexican weddings include a full Catholic mass and marriage rituals. The ceremony usually lasts over an hour and includes many sacred elements, including communion. The ceremony may be spoken entirely in Spanish and include some uniquely Mexican traditions.
It is typically a tradition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Youngstown, Ohio. Cookie tables are included in primarily Italian, Polish or Catholic wedding receptions. Other groups that also have cookie tables or cookie platters are the Greeks, Slovaks, Serbian Orthodox, Austrian/Hungarian, and Scandinavians.
- Lower the temperature and cook for longer: This is one of the easiest solutions. Lower the temperature by around 10-20°C and increase the baking time slightly. This will make sure the cake tin doesn't heat up too quickly.
Traditionally, couples will have a three-tier wedding cake because each layer serves a different purpose. The bottom is for serving, the middle is for people to take home, and the top is to freeze and save for a later date (like your first wedding anniversary).
The other reason cake edges can be hard and crunchy is that the cake pans have been greased a little too generously, causing the edges of the cake to "fry" in the oven. Use melted butter to grease the cake pans and brush on just a very light layer around the edges.
Since no one can compete with a classic glass of sweet tea, though, in the South, Russian Tea became synonymous with a hot drink flavored with oranges or lemons and spiced with vanilla, rum, cinnamon, and sometimes preserved cherries.
It could be a coincidence, but no one knows for sure," Parra explains. Most assume the cookie's name is due to its occasional appearance at some Mexican weddings.
Some people believe that Russian Tea Cakes originated in Eastern Europe, but as far as I could tell, they inherited the name from the 19th-century American fascination with Russian tea culture.
There is an interesting legend of how the Russian cake got its name. The story goes that a New Orleans baker made it because he ran out of ingredients to bake a proper cake for the visit of the Russian Grand Duke Alexis when he visited the city in 1872 for Mardi Gras.
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