Toasted Almond Russian Tea Cakes

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Toasted Almond Russian Tea Cakes (Mexican Wedding Cookies) ~ These easy shortbread cookies with powdered sugar are required eating during the holidays!

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup, 16 Tbsp, 8 ounces, or 227g) at room temperature
• 6 tbsp confectioner's sugar (plus more for rolling)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup ground toasted almonds, measured after grinding (instructions for toasting below)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. To toast the almonds, put a cup of raw almonds (skins on) on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, giving the pan a shake a couple of times during cooking. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until they become evenly ground with no larger nut chunks left. Important: measure out 1 cup of the ground nuts for this recipe (you will probably have slightly more than that.)
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the almond extract. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the mixer to make sure you've got all the butter incorporated.
4. Whisk the flour and salt together and add them, slowly to bowl with the mixer on low. Add in the nuts as well and mix until the dough starts to come together. Finish mixing with a large spoon, and then bring the dough together with your hands. Make sure there are no dry spots.
5. Use a small cookie scoop to portion out even amounts and roll in your hands to form a round ball, about 1 inch. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for about 10-11 minutes. The cookies will still be pale. Let cool until just slightly warm on a cooling rack. Roll the warm cookies in a small bowl of sifted powdered sugar and put back on the rack.
6. When the cookies are completely cooled, roll them again in the sugar.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island