Russian tea cake facts for kids
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Russian tea cakes coated in confectioner's sugar
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| Type | Pastry |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Serving temperature | Hot or cold |
| Main ingredients | nuts, butter, powdered sugar |
Russian tea cakes are a yummy type of pastry. People often enjoy them during the Christmas season, especially in the United States. These small, round cookies are a bit like a very old English pastry called a jumble.
What Are Russian Tea Cakes Made Of?
Russian tea cakes have a pretty simple recipe. They usually contain just a few ingredients. These include flour, water, butter, and ground nuts. The type of nut can change depending on the cookie.
After the cookies are baked, they get a special coating. First, they are rolled in powdered sugar while they are still warm. Then, once the cookies have cooled down, they are coated with powdered sugar again. This gives them their famous snowy look!
Different Kinds of Nuts
Recipes from Europe often use nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts. If you've heard of "Mexican wedding cakes," those are very similar. They traditionally use pecans that are chopped into small pieces.
The History of Russian Tea Cakes
It's a bit of a mystery why these cookies are called "Russian Tea Cakes." No one is really sure how they connect to Russian cooking. Some people think these recipes might have come from other cookies in Eastern Europe. Others believe they might have traveled to Mexico with European nuns long ago.
Another idea is that they were served with Russian samovars. These are special urns used for making tea. By the 1900s, these cookies became popular for weddings and holidays like Christmas and Easter in the U.S. That's when they became known as "Russian tea cakes" or "Mexican wedding cakes."
