A cough is difficult to contain under these circumstances. My lungs must resemble a shaken snow globe- a small storm of powder swirls madly about, then adheres to my insides like spackle. Lips delicately dusted white, a rich buttery slightly nutty cookie crumbling beneath the pressure of my tongue (the uncomfortable wheezing fits that accompany such sweetness are a tiny price to pay really). I suppose I can be more cautious…do my best to stifle an inhale and/or avoid speaking when one of these delicious devils are in my mouth. But really? Maybe I don’t care enough or maybe (being the twisted individual I am) I deem the lung assault a crucial, almost enjoyable part of the Russian Tea Cake eating process.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and vanilla together until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the 6 Tbsp confectioners sugar with the flour until well combined. Stir sugar/flour mixture into the butter/vanilla mixture until just blended. Mix in the nuts. Next, roll the dough into 1 inch balls (*) and place them a couple inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. (*If the dough is too dry to roll into balls, feel free to add a tiny swig of milk to moisten it up a bit.)
3. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. When they have cooled, roll the individual cookies in the remaining confectioners sugar (roll them a second time if desired).