If Russian Tea Cakes had a fancy cousin, it would be these cookies!
The Dish
Delightful little cookies to dazzle your treat trays, this vintage recipe adds a chocolate mint twist to a holiday classic.
The Tell
The good thing about family and friends knowing I have a soft spot for recipes of yesteryear is that I am often the lucky recipient of the handwritten recipe cards or vintage cookbooks no one seems to know what to do with.
One of my most prized collections comes from my husband’s grandma, Myrtle, whom we called Gam. Carefully preserved in a Rubbermaid container, there are several of her handwritten recipe cards, along with many typewritten ones that I bet Gam and her friends exchanged when she worked as a secretary for the Federal Reserve Bank downtown Minneapolis.
There are also old newspaper and magazine clippings of recipes she made along with several old menus from past holidays and dinner parties. It is so fun to look back and see who was seated around Gam’s table and all of the delicacies she served (ham loaf makes a regular appearance)! I can just imagine her entertaining in her 1950’s time capsule kitchen, donning one of her frilly aprons.
Whenever I dive into the box of cherished recipes, I feel like it is an opportunity to spend time with Gam. I especially like looking at all the goodies she used to make, like teatime tassies, spritz cookies and various bars. I’ve come across her recipe for Walnut Mint Christmas Balls a few times and decided that this was the time to make it.
The cookie recipe reminds me of Russian Tea Cakes or Snowballs, with the same tender crumb. However, instead of rolling the baked ball cookies in powdered sugar, the cookies are frosted with a layer of chocolate mint frosting and sprinkled with ground walnuts—although I topped mine with colorful nonpareil sprinkles.
Whenever I taste chocolate mint, I am immediately transported to Dayton’s (later known as Marshall Fields and now known as Macy’s, but forever Dayton’s in my heart) and its legendary Frango Mints. The chocolate candy was always a special treat during many shopping outings to Minneapolis with my mom and grandma. They were also a favorite of my dad’s for several years, with me often gifting him a box for his birthday and Christmas. He’d ration them out one by one, savoring the decadent flavor and texture! So, adding this nostalgic flavor to a classic cookie is a win-win in my book.
To me, these are Russian Tea Cakes all dressed up for the holidays—topped with that mint-chocolate crown that would make any Frango Mint lover swoon. A little fancy, a little nostalgic, and fully Gam.
Two changes I made to Gam’s recipe:
- I was not able to find mint chocolate chips that Gam referenced in her recipe, so I used regular chocolate chips and added a splash of mint extract instead of vanilla. You could definitely make the frosting without the mint. (Note: I tried using Andes crème de menthe baking chips, but the result was a weird consistency. I don’t recommend this product for these cookies.
- Instead of sprinkling the frosted cookies with ground walnuts, I sprinkled them with…SPRINKLES. So cute!
