Tea Cake Cookies

Hi PinkWhen Readers! I am so excited to be back here today sharing how I made one of my favorite Christmas cookies even more delicious! For more holiday recipes, I’d love if you stopped over at Old House to New Home. These Tea Cake Cookies are AMAZING!

Jam Filled Tea Cake Cookies

Everyone has their favorite Christmas cookies. For me, I love the traditional cookies that have been passed down from my Grandmother like English Matrimonials and Scottish Shortbread. My grandma makes the absolute best shortbread and I look forward to them every Christmas.

Tea Cake Cookies

Another favorite in my family are Russian Tea Cakes, which I know some people call Mexican/Italian Wedding Cookies or Snowballs. The premise is simple for these. They are drier, crumbly cookie, studded with nuts and rolled in powdered sugar. The texture of these cookies pair perfectly with your morning coffee or tea or are great Christmas morning with a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

While I love a plain old tea cake cookie, I wanted to mix them up a little and change up the recipe. I mentioned earlier that one of my favorite cookies are English matrimonials, which is an oatmeal bar cookie with red raspberry jam. I decided to take my favorite part of those cookies (the jam) and put the jam into these ones, combining two of my favorite cookies! The results were great! I love the sweet burst of the red raspberries in the center and the color is great for the holidays. If you are looking for a twist on a traditional holiday cookie, then you have to try these! Jam Filled Tea Cake Cookies Makes 32 cookies 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 1/4 cups flour 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for rolling pinch of salt 2 tbsp. milk 1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Slowly add in the flour, beating after each addition. Add the milk and beat again to combine. Dough will remain very crumbly. Add in nuts and fold in with a spatula. Remove dough from mixing bowl and roll into a ball. Wrap tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove dough from fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a knife, cut pieces off the ball, about 1 tbsp of dough, and roll into balls.

Cut each ball in half and form an impression into one half.

Fill impression with about 1/2 tsp. jam. Fold up the sides around the jam.

Flatten the other half of the ball with your fingers and then lay over the jam filled piece. Smooth out the edges to seal.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. I like to use a silpat to prevent sticking. Remove from ove and immediately roll in powdered sugar, then put them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Store these Tea Cake Cookies in an airtight container or freeze for later, these freeze great! Happy Holidays!