Mexican Wedding Cakes Aka Russian Tea Cakes Recipes

PECAN PUFFS (AKA MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES OR RUSSIAN TEA CAKES)

Steps:

• Cream butter, add sugar and remaining ingredients.
• Roll into small balls, and place on cookie sheet.
• Bake in 325 F oven for 30 minutes.
• Roll balls into powdered sugar when hot, and again when cool.
• Note: These cookies taste best when thoroughly cooled (ie best served the next day--if you can wait!).

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES / MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES (COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Toast nuts. Place nuts on a separate baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes (or until lightly brown and fragrant) in a 350 degree F oven. Cool.
• Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour for the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Or the nuts can be hand chopped until very fine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined.
• Stir in the nuts.
• Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.
• Once the dough is firm, form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Roll the semi-cool cookies in the sifted powdered sugar and return to rack to cool completely.
• Store in airtight container for up to 10 days.

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

Steps:

• Pulse the nuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until half of them look finely chopped and the rest look pulverized.
• Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
• Wipe the bowl of the FP with a paper towel to remove any excess nut oil.
• Put the granulated sugar in the bowl and process until powdery.
• Add the flour and salt and pulse just to mix.
• Add the butter chunks, vanilla and egg yolk.
• Process until the mixture looks damp and begins to clump together.
• Add the nuts and pulse until combined.
• Transfer dough to another bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, or up to a few days.
• Preheat the oven to 325.
• Shape barely more than level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4" balls or crescent shapes.
• Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (ungreased).
• Bake for 22- 24 minutes or until lightly colored on top and golden brown on bottom.
• Rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
• When the cookies are done, let them cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then gently roll each hot cookie in powdered sugar to coat.
• Cool completely on a rack before storing.
• If desired, you can roll each cookie in powdered sugar again once completely cooled for more even coating.
• Cookies may be stored, airtight, for at least 2 weeks.

RUSSIAN WEDDING CAKES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients thoroughly (if you find it easier to cream the sugar and butter first go ahead but it isn't necessary if you don't want to take the extra step).
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for around 8 minutes (they burn easily) on middle rack at 400 degrees until set but not brown.
• While warm, roll in confectioner's sugar. Let cool, and roll in sugar again.