This made me laugh out loud and the other people in the room looked at me funny!

I would have to look at a recipe for Tea Cakes to see what the difference is...
*I will return after I confer with google*

So...it appears that Tea Cakes are a flat, buttery tasting cookie much like shortbread.
Russian Tea Cakes add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the recipe and after the dough is chilled it is shaped into balls before baking.
The balls do not flatten out when baked nor are they allowed to brown in color.
Then they are rolled in powdered sugar while still warm, then rolled again after cooling.
The recipe I use comes from a 1948 Betty Crocker cookbook, but the same recipe is available when searching Google for Russian Tea Cakes.
The only difference is that the online recipe doesn't tell to chill the dough.
I find it difficult to roll the dough into balls if it isn't chilled.
They are very yummy and don't last long before they are eaten up!