Ninotchka and Russian Tea Cakes

"What else did you have in Paris?"
"A hat.  It was very silly, I would be ashamed to wear it here."
"Oh, as beautiful as that!"


In the film 'Ninotchka', Greta Garbo plays a member of the people's army in Russia who is sent to Paris to check on some envoys who were supposed to be selling confiscated jewels but instead were living it up in a big hotel.  At the hotel she sees a very silly hat and thinks it is ridiculous.  She too becomes seduced by Paris and after returning to Russia, talks to a female comrade about her experiences there. The hat was very symbolic in her change of feelings and her yearning to enjoy a different lifestyle.

I doubt at the time in Russia she would have had the ingredients to make these Russian Tea Cakes.  If she did she would have enjoyed them while sipping a cup of tea. And she would have been wearing that silly beautiful hat.

Russian Tea Cakes

1 1/3 cups oats, ground fine in a processor
1 cup rice flour
2/3 cup ground cashews
11 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbs. vanilla extract
Grated zest of one lemon
1 cup confectioners’ sugar for coating the finished cakes

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together the ground oats, rice flour and ground walnuts.  In a mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt together until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon zest. On a low speed add the oat mixture until combined.  Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop, form balls, and place on two cookie sheets lined in parchment paper about 1 1/2 inches apart. 

Bake the cookies, reversing the pans halfway through, for 15 minutes.  They won’t have browned on top, just a little at the bottom.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Put the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar in a bag and add a few cookies at a time, shaking gently to cat with sugar.  After coating, place on a baking rack to finish cooling.  When cooled, dust again with the confectioners’ sugar.


Serve your Russian Tea Cakes with your favorite tea, share with a friend and please wear your silliest, most beautiful hat!

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.