For anyone who is still interested in a recipe for "teacakes", here are 2 recipes which my family has always loved. These are "Christmas only" cookies or at family celebrations like christenings, weddings, etc.
The first is for Russian Teacakes (also called Mexican Wedding Cookies or Snowballs. These are the ones my mom made when I was little and my sisters and I still make them, and I'm 71! But you must use real butter - it is important for the flavor. Since this recipe is from an OLD Betty Crocker cookbook and unsalted butter was not specified or even available, I always use regular salted butter.
The second cookie is from the Joy of Baking cookbook, but it has no nuts (grandson is allergic). It is also a delicious cookie and really just melts in your mouth.
Hope you enjoy!
RUSSIAN TEACAKES
Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies. (I only get about 30-36 cookies.)
1 cup soft butter (salted)
1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar (powdered or icing sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup FINELY chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Mix thoroughly butter, sugar and vanilla.
Sift flour and salt together and stir into butter mixture.
Stir in chopped nuts.
Chill dough. Roll into 1" balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet (I use parchment paper.) Cookies do not spread, so you may place them close together. Bake until set but not brown. While still warm, roll in confectioners' sugar. Cool completely. Roll in sugar again. (The first sugaring will melt from the heat and make the cookies sticky, which holds the second sugaring on the cookies so they look like snowballs.)
These cookies store very well between sheets of waxed paper or parchment in an airtight container.
NOTE: My DIL's mom makes these, but wraps the dough around a maraschino cherry (drained and dried) before baking. You should probably bake them a little longer, but I'm not sure about that.
MELTING MOMENTS
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Makes about 3 dozen.
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch (corn flour) - yes, this is correct.
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in vanilla.
Add flour mixture until well incorporated.
Chill dough 1 hour.
Roll dough into 1" balls and place 1" apart on ungreased sheet or parchment-lined sheet. Bake. Remove cookies to a cooling rack until just cool enough to handle. The warm cookies are very fragile. CAREFULLY roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar again.
These cookies store very well between sheets of waxed paper or parchment in an airtight container.