How to Make Vegan Russian Tea Cakes
Are you looking for a vegan Russian tea cake recipe? You’ve found it! Also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies, whatever you know them as, these are far from basic. Delicate, sweet and melt-in-the-mouth, this is as easy as it gets to make cookies.
Oh, these are so simple and just about the most sweetly melting thing that you’ll put in your mouth this year.
They are not really teacakes, but actually a very short almond-enriched dough that is rolled into a ball and rolled in icing sugar once baked.
You can use other ground nuts, Pecans will make these Mexican Tea Cakes and would also be utterly delectable. A little bite of heaven.
Table of Contents
A Little Note About Vegan Cookie Dough
There is a huge plethora of cookie recipes out there, but you always find one that you love the most. It might remind you of your childhood, or you just always have the right ingredients hanging around in your store cupboard, or maybe it’s just a people pleaser that you ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE!
Baking cookies can sometimes be a bit laborious, particularly if I want to eat one quickly and I don’t want to spend too much time thinking, and more time eating, so I thought it would be a great idea to use just one dough for whatever mood you were in.
You can make these smaller or larger too, just adjust the cooking times slightly.
Equipment
This dough is so simple that not too much prep is needed. However, here is some basic equipment you will need:
- Baking Sheets
- Greaseproof Paper
- Mixing Bowl
- Electric Hand Whisk or Wooden Spoon!
- Clingfilm/Shrinkwrap
Ingredients
- Flour: I use Gluten-Free, (but any plain flour will do!)
- Ground Nuts: Note: you can use any ground nuts, or grind your own, if you prefer. I like ground almonds.
- Butter: Vegan, if you’re plant-based, normal if not.
- Extracts: Almond, Vanilla.
- Full ingredients in recipe card
That’s quite a list, but in reality, even if you only make the basic recipe, you will still have a luscious, light, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
These cookies all last about a week in an airtight container.
Tip: Leave your cookies to cool on your baking sheet for a couple of minutes. They will seem soft, but firm up on cooling.
For other delicious vegan cookie recipes
- Oatmeal Choc Chip Cookies
- Deliciously spicy pfeffernusse cookies
- Sophisticated, nutty Florentines
- Festive Linzer Cookies
Vegan Russian Teacakes
Equipment
- Lined Baking Sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter - plant-based
- ⅔ cup Ground Almonds
- 1⅔ cups Gluten free flour - or use normal flour
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- ½ tsp Almond Extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a couple of baking sheets, lined with greaseproof paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together the vegan butter and sugar.
- Mix in the ground almonds, almond extract, flour and salt, until you get a soft dough.
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least half an hour. At this point you can now freeze the dough too.
- Preheat oven to 170c.
- Separate the dough into two halves. Place one half back in the fridge whilst you prep the first.
- Roll the first half into a log, about 1½ “ dia.
- Divide the log into 1” wide sections and roll each section into a ball.
- Place on baking sheet. Baking times for the cookies will be, on average, 15 minutes. You just need to see them turning pale golden.
- Let stand for a couple of minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
- Place your icing sugar in a shallow dish.
- Roll your cookies into the icing sugar until they are thoroughly coated. You may need a couple of coats.
- Bite into one and sigh with pleasure.
Please note that where the recipe asks for milk, butter or yogurt, this refers to any plant-based version that you prefer.
These cookies look so tender and melt in the mouth delicious! Yum!
One of my favorite cookies!
My kids loved these cookies. Thanks for sharing.
One of my favorite Christmas cookies! They’re so yummy and have the best texture.
Russian, Mexican, and also sound similar to the Italian baci. I love these cookies!
This is so delish!! My kids enjoyed it, too!
love these cookies. They’re so delicious and can’t wait to make more of these
This recipe did not work for me, the cookies always flatten out, and are too crumbly.
Thanks
Hmm that’s strange, they always work out fine for me, perhaps try them with a bit less butter, but adding a little milk to the dough if it seems dry. Let me know if this works.
Where can I find organic ground almonds? I can only find almond flour
They don’t have to be organic ground almonds….you can use almond flour instead though!