Russian Tea Biscuits

Not what you think...

I made the pies for Thanksgiving dinner...pumpkin...two of them.

But I didn't stop there. Looking for ideas while searching through the pages of Russian cuisine, I found these little cookies everywhere. Obviously very popular, and very traditional.

Much like the shortbread cookies from my mother's side, using icing or powdered sugar,  and so I whipped up a batch.

A few recipes I found, had the cookies rolled out, spread with butter and jam, then rolled up and sliced. I will definitely try those sometime, but with the pies a simpler version seemed much more sensible.



Russian Tea Biscuits

1 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1/4 tsp salt
icing sugar

Pre-heat over to 400F.










Mix the butter, 1/2 cup icing sugar, salt, and the vanilla in a large bowl.



Stir in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Knead in the nuts.








Shape into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.



Bake 12 to 15 minutes, just until the cookies are starting to brown very lightly.







Remove, roll in icing sugar and cool on a wire rack.

When cool, and just before serving, roll once again in the icing sugar.

I tried using a hand mixer to mix the dough...unfortunately (or fortunately) my mixer is about 150hp...and low sent butter and icing sugar everywhere. I'm still cleaning up that mess. Next time maybe the Kitchen Aid...deeper bowl.
(Shelley)