Russian Tea Cakes Recipe - Classic Christmas Snowball Cookies! (2024)

FAQs

What is the origin of snowball cookies? ›

The origin for pecan snowball cookies is unknown. Beloved in many parts of the world, these cookies may have traveled to the U.S. by way of immigrants from Eastern Europe or Mexico. Since the 20th century, they've become part of traditional American offerings for weddings and holidays, including Christmas and Easter.

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).

Italian wedding cookies typically contain almonds or hazelnuts and are flavored with almond extract, vanilla extracts and spices like cinnamon or anise. Mexican wedding cookies, on the other hand, use a combination of ground nuts such as pecans and walnuts, as well as butter, sugar and sometimes chocolate chips.

One of the original versions of Snowballs is the Russian Tea Cookie. Originating in Russia, as the name suggests, this cookie was intended to be a dessert to accompany teatime, similar to the way the English enjoy tea with pastries.

Why did my snowball cookies flatten? The cookies will flatten slightly when baked, but they shouldn't flatten completely. If you skipped the chilling time, this may be why they spread. Another reason is if you place the dough on a hot baking sheet; if you have to reuse baking sheets, let them cool first.

As you can probably guess, this drink originated in Russia dating all the way back to the early 1800s. It was traditionally composed of black tea with lemon and sugar, orange and pineapple juices, cinnamon, clove, honey, and lemon or orange wedges for garnish.

Varieties. Traditionally, black tea is the most common tea in Russia, but green tea is becoming more popular. Traditional tea in Russia includes the traditional type known as Russian Caravan as it was originally imported from China via camel caravan.

Outside the South, the words “tea cake” mean any cake served with tea. But to Southerners, tea cakes are more than that. They are the nostalgic cookies—crispy and golden around the edges, soft and cake-like inside—that are perfect for tea, or just about anything else you choose to drink.

There is an interesting legend of how the Russian cake got its name. The story goes that a New Orleans baker made it because he ran out of ingredients to bake a proper cake for the visit of the Russian Grand Duke Alexis when he visited the city in 1872 for Mardi Gras.

Russian Cake is prepared by mixing our almond cake, gold cake and devil's food cake with raspberry jelly, rum flavor and a hint of anise oil (licorice flavor). It is then topped with buttercream and nonpareils (aka sprinkles).

Why do they call them Mexican wedding cookies? ›

It could be a coincidence, but no one knows for sure," Parra explains. Most assume the cookie's name is due to its occasional appearance at some Mexican weddings. It's probably not shocking to you, but because of their complex history and origin, there are numerous other names for Mexican wedding cookies.

🎡The Carnival Cookie🎡 A massive, buttery-soft sugar cookie topped with. smooth vanilla buttercream icing and garnished. generously with rainbow sprinkles.

There are many popular Italian cookie brands, but some of the most well-known are Mulino Bianco, Balocco, Lazzaroni, Doria, and Oro Saiwa. These brands offer a wide range of Italian cookies, from classic biscotti to soft amaretti.

Directly translated, Biscotti (or biscotto) simply means cookie in modern day Italian. However, the word originates from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning “twice-cooked,” referring to the method used to make traditional Biscotti.

Snowball cookies, aka pecan sandies, Russian tea cakes, and Mexican wedding cookies, have origins as mysterious as their multiple names imply.

The Origin of the Cookie

The first cookies are thought to be test cakes bakers used to test the oven temperature. They date back as early as 7th Century A.D. Persia which is now Iran.

Also referred to as Mexican wedding cakes, these buttery cookies originated outside of Mexico. Their creation has been traced back to medieval Arab baking that predominantly featured ingredients like butter, sugar, spices and nuts.

By the 16th century Christmas biscuits had become popular across Europe, with Lebkuchen being favoured in Germany and pepparkakor in Sweden, while in Norway krumkake were popular. The earliest examples of Christmas cookies in the United States were brought by the Dutch in the early 17th century.