Russian Tea Cakes

Russian Tea Cakes

                            

Russian Tea Cakes have been a Christmas staple in my family for as long as I can remember. I will warn you, they are more than a bit addicting, so a batch never lasts long. I often make three or for batches over the Christmas season. But being really behind on my holiday baking this is my first batch this year.

 

Makes about 3 dozen.      

What You Will Need:

2 cups ( 4 sticks) butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons orange liqueur

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

4 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups walnuts finely chopped(optional)

Additional powdered sugar.

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350f

In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy.

Add the vanilla, orange liqueur and the orange zest, mix well.

Slowly add the flour, on a low speed mix the chopped walnuts.

Shape the dough in you're hands into 1"balls. Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set( don't let them brown). Remove from the cookie sheet. let cool for a couple of minutes. While the cookies are still warm roll in the powdered sugar to coat.(Be sure to keep the sugar, you will need it again).Place the coated cookies on a cooling rack, let cool completely, then roll in the powdered sugar again.

I hope you have a great weekend. And happy baking.

Anna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread Men

                       Gingerbread Men

Hello Everybody,
So yesterday I started my Christmas baking, yay. I love making Christmasy treats, it is one of my favorite things. Christmas is my favorite holiday, there is just something in the air at this time of year that makes me happy inside.
Any who, Gingerbread men, it doesn't get much more Chrismasy then these little guys. I have been using this gingerbread recipe for, well since I started cooking really(about six years) and my whole family loves it, so here it is.

Ingredients.

   1 Cup butter, softened
   11/2 Cup dark brown sugar
   2/3 Cup molasses
   2 eggs
   2 Tablespoons water
   44/3 Cups flour
   2 teaspoons baking soda
   1 Tablespoon ground ginger
   1 teaspoon cinnamon
   1 teaspoon nutmeg

What to do.

    In a large mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs, molasses and water to the butter sugar mixture. Beat until well combined. In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to the butter mixture and mix well(When I double this recipe, I often will miss some of the flour mixture in the bottom of the mixing bowl)
You can refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes if you want to, but it's not really needed.

Preheat you're oven at 350.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a little until its in a smooth ball, roll out half of  the dough, until its about 1/8 inch thick. Now using you're lightly floured cookie cutter, cut out you're gingerbread men.

 Gently move the little men from the floured surface to a baking sheet.

 Place about two inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are starting to crinkle. Let the cookie set on the pan for a minute or two, then move to a cooling rack.
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Decorate as desired.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Anna.