Milk tea biscuts - Молочные коржики.

These biscuits were a common treat in Soviet Russia at the school buffets. They cost 8 kopees (equivalent of 8 cents) and were quite popular. Currently it is one of the most nostalgic requests of Russian people leaving abroad. The recipe is quite simple. Here is what you'll need:

110 ml of milk
200 gr sugar
Vanilla extract
Coffee extract
100 gr of butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
400 gr flour

Egg yolk for glaze

Mix milk and sugar in a heat proof bowl, bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve. Pour syrup over butter and let butter melt and dissolve in syrup. Add vanilla and coffee extract, egg, baking soda and flour. Mix gently until soft dough forms. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the biscuits out with about 5 inch biscuit cutter, brush with egg yolk and let stand while the oven is heating up to 400 F. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden.
Can keep for 2 to 3 days in an air tight container.

My Grandma's roll up fruit cookie

This is a very fast and easy recipe that one likes to have on hand when cookies are needed within an hour. They come out flaky and buttery with the flavour of fruit filling that you've chosen.If you will go for something more sour it would be tangy or sweeter- it would be a sweet tooth pleaser.

Here is what you'll need:

1 egg
1/4 tea spoon baking soda
1 table spoon vinegar
pinch of salt
1/2cup water

2 sticks (about 200 gr) margarine or butter
2 cups flour

If you want to make larger amout of dough can use 2 1/2 cups of flour to 250 gr of margarine.


Break egg in the cup and mix lightly, add soda with vinegar and salt and add water so that it becomes 3/4 of a cup.

Put butter and flour in the bowl and cup with pastry cutter until it reaches the stage of fine crumbs. Start adding liquid ingredients gradually and continue cutting with pastry cutter. continue till dough forms. stop adding liquid once sufficient for the butter flour mixture.

Cut dough in half and roll our each half about 1 to 2 ml thick. Cut into wedges. Put preserves of your choice and roll up.

Bake at 350F for about 16 to 18 minutes or until golden on the edges. Once cooled can dust with powdered sugar.

Vinegret- Russian Beet Salad

There are a few dishes that are considered staples of Russian table, particularly for holidays. This salad is one of them in my opinion. With quite a bit of cold weather, majority of vegetables that were used were root vegetables that keep well. It is very basic but tasty and nutritious. It can be used as an appetizer ( can serve it in a nice bowl or in letters cups) or it can make a hearty side dish for dinner.

Here is what you'll need:

1 large beet
1 or 2 potatoes
3 to 4 carrots
Half of white onion
5 medium size pickles
jar of peas or steamed fresh pees
2 table spoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Steam or boil beet, potatoes and carrot in there jackets. You can do that 24 hours in advance to making the salad. Peel.

Cut in even cubes. Dice onion as small as you can. Cut 4 pickles same size as the rest of vegetables and grade 1 pickle on a large grader. Mix everything gently in the bowl, add peas and oil and mix again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
You always can add fresh herbs such as dill or parsley, finely chopped.