In a rush for Russian tea biscuits, a piece of pastry perfection: Classic CLE Eats & Drinks - cleveland.com

Behold the crisp, flaky, soft-and-jammy delight that is a Russian tea biscuit.Peter Chakerian, Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – One of the best things about doing the “Classic CLE Eats & Drinks” column every week is the interaction I have with readers. So many of you reached out after the “Cleveland coconut bars/cakes/squares” piece to share personal history, perspective and origin stories.

One thing mentioned almost universally by readers: if we mentioned those coconut delights, it was a requirement to mention Russian tea biscuits as well. “Neglectful” not to, in fact.

For those who aren’t hip, Russian tea biscuits are another one of those “Classic CLE” baked goods that are revered here but can be a challenge to find elsewhere. More likely to be found in Midwestern cities, but as you might have guessed, most likely to be found right here in The Land.

Readers also insisted that I not confuse them with Russian tea cakes. Duly noted.

Those are the cookies you see around the holidays, which are dusted with powdered sugar, have a crumblier, shortbread-like texture and are often “studded” with nuts. The biscuits are different.

These are comprised of a toothsome dough loaded with raspberry, apricot or plum jam, plus raisins, nuts and cinnamon sugar. I’ve seen some made with chocolate chips in them; others with honey and poppy seeds. Once baked, they morph into a multi-textured palate pleaser, where the crisp exterior yields to a softened, sticky-sweet interior. They also have a creamy, jammy quality to them.

This flavor-texture combination likely evolved out of rugelach, a pastry that, like the beloved “RTBs,” is thought to be of Jewish Eastern European origin. Both are commonly associated with Jewish communities found in Poland, Ukraine and (wait for it) Russia. The “Russian” in the name is said to reflect the large Jewish population there during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The word rugelach, roughly translated, is “little twist” or “tiny package.” They’re a pastry made with butter and/or cream cheese in the dough. Russian tea biscuits on the other hand, have neither in the dough – at least in places like Davis Bakery, which is renowned for them and those coconut bars.

They’re so popular with Davis fans, in fact, that bakers there crank out 1,500 or so every week.

RTBs are also much larger than a rugelach, as they’re prepared as a log like cinnamon or Swiss rolls then cut to size before baking. Done right, it’s a multi-bite proposition compared to a “little twist.”

Why are they called tea biscuits? Well, they pair well with tea, which always has a hint of bitterness thanks to the tannins in tea leaves. The pastry’s sweet pop is a nice complement, though if you’re more of a coffee person, you’ll be happy to know they work just as well together.

Fall always has me thinking about pastry. Food of any kind that feels like a blanket for your insides and evokes warm feelings seems to cut through the expected drops in temperature in Cleveland.

After eating lighter and healthier in the spring and summer months, the desire for comfort food becomes a subconscious directive. If there’s nostalgia involved? All the better.

Russian tea biscuits also remind me of family Christmas parties from my pre-teen years, where they would be trotted out as a part of the resplendent cavalcade of granary and baked goods.

The chance to enjoy those biscuits, along with lady locks (Mom called them “clothespin pastries”) and koláčky (“kolachkeys,” in a Cleveland accent) was more exciting than anything under the tree.

It also reminded me that enjoying savory versions as a child – with cheese, herbs and a mincemeat or sausage filling – was also a thing during the spring.

I’m not sure where or how that tradition came to be, but if you make yours this way – or ever decide to go that route when baking some – I’m curious to hear how they turn out for you.

As for me, it’s time to preheat the oven. Time’s a wastin’ and stomach is rumblin’.

What “Classic CLE Eats & Drinks” do it for you? Hit me up: [email protected].

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