How to Make Chef John's Russian Tea Cakes - A Step-by-Step Guide

There's nothing quite like enjoying a warm, buttery Russian Tea Cake with a hot cup of tea on a cold winter's day.
These delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are a holiday favorite, and for good reason.
Made with just a few simple ingredients, these little treats are easy to whip up, and the results are always impressive.
In this recipe, we'll be following Chef John's tried and true method for making the perfect Russian Tea Cakes.

The first step in making these deliciou...

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
  • ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting, or more as needed

Information

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Additional Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Servings: 14
  • Yield: 28 to 32 cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange a rack in the center position of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat.
  • Place butter, walnuts, 1/3 cup packed powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Top with 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour. Mix with clean hands until dough starts to clump up. Keep mixing by hand until all flour and clumps of butter are evenly mixed into dough.
  • Scoop out dough and roll by hand into uniformly round balls, just slightly larger than 1 inch. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, 15 to 25 minutes depending on the size of cookies.
  • Let cool for exactly 5 minutes, then roll warm cookies in 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Let cookies cool completely, then toss them again in confectioners' sugar.
  • Nutrition

    276 cal.

    • Total Fat: 18g
    • Saturated Fat: 9g
    • Cholesterol: 35mg
    • Sodium: 22mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 26g
    • Dietary Fiber: 1g
    • Total Sugars: 11g
    • Protein: 3g
    • Vitamin C: 0mg
    • Calcium: 14mg
    • Iron: 1mg
    • Potassium: 58mg