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Russian tea cakes
	Russian tea cakes coated in confectioner's sugar
Type	Pastry
Course	Dessert
Serving temperature	Hot or cold
Main ingredients	nuts, butter, powdered sugar
	Media: Russian tea cakes;

A Russian tea cake, Mexican wedding cookies or snowball cookies is a kind of pastry, often eaten around Christmas time in the United States.^[1]

Ingredients

Russian tea cakes have a relatively simple recipe, generally consisting entirely of flour, water, butter, and ground nuts, the nut variety depending upon the cookie type. After baking, they are rolled in powdered sugar while still hot, then coated again once the cookie has cooled.^[2]

European recipes rely upon coarsely chopped hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts.^[3] Mexican wedding cookies, also known as "Polvorones", are rich, buttery, nutty cookies with a crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. While they share similar ingredients with Russian tea cakes, they traditionally use coarsely chopped pecans or almonds. A hint of cinnamon is often added, providing a subtle warmth and enhancing their rich, nutty flavor.^[4]

History

A reason for the common name Russian tea cake or any connection to Russian cuisine is unknown.^[1] Some have speculated the recipes either derived from other Eastern European shortbread cookies, may have migrated to Mexico with European nuns, or may have been associated with cookies served beside Russian samovars (tea urns).^[1] By the 20th century, they were a part of wedding, Christmas and Easter traditions in the U.S., known by their popular Russian tea cake or Mexican wedding cookie name.

List of American desserts
List of Russian desserts
Bizcochito, a butter cookie originating in northern Mexico
Polvorón, a similar shortbread originating in Spain

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Schrambling, Regina (2013). "The One Christmas Cookie That's Made the World Over". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
^ Food Lover's Companion, Sharon Tyler Herbst, 3rd edition [Barron:New York] 2001 (p. 385)
^ "Russian Tea Cakes". Bon Appétit. December 1990. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
^ "An Incomplete History of Mexican Wedding Cakes". Bon Appétit. December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.