Russian Tea Biscuits Recipes

RUSSIAN TEA BISCUITS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine flour and salt and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and confectioners' sugar blending well. Beat in vodka. Gradually blend in flour/salt mixture. Fold in chopped hazelnuts.
• Break off dough in walnut sized pieces and roll into balls. On ungreased baking sheets place balls 1-1/2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly colored. Sprinkle hot cookies with confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

TEA BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut shortening in until mixture has a fine crumb texture. Stir in milk with a fork to make a soft dough. Knead 8 to 10 times, and then roll out to a thickness of at least 1/2 inch. Cut into rounds with a cookie or biscuit cutter. Place on cookie sheet, and allow to rest for a few minutes.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

RUSSIAN SPICE COOKIES (PRYANIKI)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves (be careful with the cloves-too much can produce a bitter taste), optional nutmeg, optional allspice, and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, beat together 2 egg yolks , 1 whole egg, melted butter, and honey or agave syrup. If using agave, bake 25 degrees lower because products brown faster. In this case, bake at 325 F instead of 350 F when using honey.
• Mix in the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 F. Place parchment paper the size of your cookie sheets on a clean surface. Using a cookie scoop, portion out mounds of dough and roll them in your hands until they are a completely smooth ball. Place on the prepared cookie sheets leaving 2 inches between each cookie. They will flatten out somewhat but still retain a domed shape.
• Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until just golden, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking. Cool on the sheets until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer to racks to finish cooling.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and enough water (1 to 2 tablespoons) to form a thin icing.
• Spread on cooled cookies with a pastry brush.
• Allow icing to harden before storing cookies in an airtight container.

RUSSIAN JAM BISCUITS FOR TEA TIME

Steps:

• 1. Sift all your dry ingredients into a large bowl.
• 2. Now in the center of the dry ingredients make a hole and the remaining dough ingredients. Knead this all together until combined well.
• 3. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 to 3 hours.
• 4. Remove dough from frig and cut into four equal pieces.
• 5. To assemble: start by rolling out one piece of dough onto a floured work surface, into a nice circle or triangular shape. Now spread bluberry jam or preserves over entire circle, follow with blackberry jam or preserves layer. (you can use your own combination of jams or use just one kind). Sprinkle over the jam with raisins and then repeat using the nuts.
• 6. In jelly roll fashion roll the dough up nicely. Using a pastry brush brush the top and sides of the roll with egg white and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar
• 7. Cut the roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices (about 10 to 12 slices per roll)and place on lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. (Making sure the sugared side is up)
• 8. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. (You can sprinkle while hot with additional sugar or drizzle them lightly with a glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla)
• 9. FOR OPTIONAL NUT FILLING:BRING WATER AND SUGAR TO A BOIL ON THE STOVE IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN. nOW ADD THE ORANGE ZEST AND ALLOW TO SIMMER FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES.REMOVE FROM HEAT AND ALLOW TO COOL.ADD NUTS TO THIS COOLED SYRUP AND MIX TO COMBINE THOROUGHLY. SPREAD THIS OVER THE DOUGH INSTEAD OF THE JAM OR PRESERVES.

RUSSIAN TEA BISCUITS

Steps:

• Boil the raisins and water for 5 minutes and let cool. Then add the baking soda.
• Creme together the butter, sugar, eggs.
• Add other ingredients and raisins (make sure the raisins are completely cool).
• Drop by small spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and press them flat.
• Bake at 400°F until brown on edges.
• Let sit on tray before transferring to a cooling rack.

CLEVELAND STYLE RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients in bowl; make well in center and add oil, margarine, orange,juice and peel, eggs and vanilla.
• Knead dough, refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Cut dough into 4 parts. Refrigerate unused dough in between rolling. Roll 1 dough piece on floured board, to 8" x 16", spread with 1/4 cup jam, then sprinkle with nuts and raisins.
• Roll as for jelly roll.
• Brush top with egg white,sprinkle with sugar mixture.
• Slice into 1 1/2 inch slices, place 1 1/2 inches apart on very lightly greased baking sheet with topping side up. Continue with other pieces of dough.
• Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Remove from baking sheet, and cool on rack.