Russian Tea Cakes/Mexican Wedding Cakes/Mom’s Nut Balls
How can one single cookie be referred to both as a Russian tea cake and a Mexican wedding cake? Can you think of two more opposite social occasions than a Russian tea and a Mexican wedding?
Interesting, though, that they’re referred to as cakes in both, when they’re so clearly cookies. Shortbread, even.
And one of few cookies that must be had at Christmastime around here. (Also: Hello Dollies.) And so when I was invited to a cookie exchange on Friday night and needed to make 11 dozen of something, these not only had nostalgia on their side, but ease of preparation.
Like any cookie recipe, you’ll see them vary slightly in ratio of butter:sugar:flour:nuts – I have one recipe that calls for them to be baked at 325, and another at 400. I played around a bit, and I think this is the best ratio and baking temperature. But that’s just me.
Mom’s Nut Balls
AuthorJulie
Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light. Add the flour, salt and nuts and stir until blended - you may need to use your hands.
Roll dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until pale golden around the edges and on the bottom. While still warm, roll in a shallow dish of icing sugar to coat. Cool on a wire rack.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light. Add the flour, salt and nuts and stir until blended - you may need to use your hands.
Roll dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until pale golden around the edges and on the bottom. While still warm, roll in a shallow dish of icing sugar to coat. Cool on a wire rack.
These are a staple at our Christmas table too. We call them snowballs (always made with pecans), and there’s no better loved cookie. Thanks for the nostalgia.
“Mom’s Nut Balls” makes me giggle a little bit inside. I’ve always wanted to make these!
We love these at our house too. At Christmas time we roll them in red and green sugar before baking (instead of the powdered sugar at the end). I call them Russian tea cakes, but the kids call them Red and Green ball cookies. You can see them here:
http://noemptychairs.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/twelve-days-of-christmas-cookies-russian-tea-cakes/
Shape them into logs and add one more title: moldy mice! Love ’em.
Cheers,
*Heather*
my mother added cocoa to the mexican wedding cake recipe, and those she called russian tea cakes. (i think there was cinnamon in them, too)
My mom used to make these every year as mexican wedding cakes and now my sister does – they are my absolute favorite!
One of my friends made these for our cookie swap last night, but she kept calling them butterballs, and we were so confused! When I got there and saw the Mexican Wedding Cakes, I didn’t know who had made them! One of my favorite cookies of the holidays…
We Greeks call them kourabiethes!
Hi Julie and Readers
Just visited the Gluten Free Girl site (she’s doing a one a day gluten free Christmas cookie event) and today was the day for Mexican Wedding Cakes. She linked to a great site that did the research on all the iterations with recipes, of this delectable cookie:
http://www.cakespy.com/blog/2009/12/21/foodbuzz-24-24-24-a-sweet-snowball-cookie-celebration.html
Happy Christmas!
I love these cookies! They are perfect on a cold day, with a cup of tea!