Russian Tea Cakes/Mexican Wedding Cakes/Mom’s Nut Balls

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

Yields1 Serving

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and/or pecans, toasted
extra icing sugar, for rolling

1

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.

2

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

 1 cup butter, at room temperature
 1/2 cup icing sugar
 1 tsp. vanilla
 2 cups flour
 1/4 tsp. salt
 1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and/or pecans, toasted
 extra icing sugar, for rolling

Directions

1

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.

2

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.

Mom’s Nut Balls
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13 comments on “Russian Tea Cakes/Mexican Wedding Cakes/Mom’s Nut Balls

  1. Teresa
    December 21, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    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.

  2. Sharlene
    December 21, 2010 at 9:07 pm

    “Mom’s Nut Balls” makes me giggle a little bit inside. I’ve always wanted to make these!

  3. Kelly
    December 22, 2010 at 3:23 am

    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/

  4. heather
    December 22, 2010 at 6:39 am

    Shape them into logs and add one more title: moldy mice! Love ’em.

    Cheers,

    *Heather*

  5. elin
    December 22, 2010 at 7:05 am

    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)

  6. eprairiegrrl
    December 22, 2010 at 8:49 am

    My mom used to make these every year as mexican wedding cakes and now my sister does – they are my absolute favorite!

  7. Julie
    December 22, 2010 at 10:57 am

    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…

  8. Chrissy
    December 23, 2010 at 12:01 am

    We Greeks call them kourabiethes!

  9. Katharine
    December 23, 2010 at 9:14 am

    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!

  10. Kate
    December 23, 2010 at 9:47 am

    I love these cookies! They are perfect on a cold day, with a cup of tea!

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