Russian Tea Cakes (Snowball Cookies)
These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Russian tea cakes are the perfect holiday cookie. Made with toasted nuts and rolled twice in powdered sugar, they create an irresistible snowball effect that's been beloved for generations.
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- electric mixer
- mixing bowls
- cookie scoop (optional)
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226g, softened at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar 60g, plus 2 cups for rolling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure vanilla preferred
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 280g, spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- ¾ cup pecans or walnuts 90g, toasted and finely chopped
For Rolling
- 2 cups powdered sugar 240g, for double coating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer to cutting board, cool completely, then chop finely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and ½ cup powdered sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat 30 seconds more.
- Add flour and salt to butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until dough comes together. The mixture will look crumbly at first, then form a cohesive dough.
- Using a spatula, fold in toasted nuts until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about 15g each) using hands or small cookie scoop. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until bottoms are light golden and tops are set but still pale.
- Let cookies cool on pan for 2 minutes. While still warm, gently roll each cookie in powdered sugar, coating completely. Place on wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Once cooled, roll cookies again in fresh powdered sugar for perfect snowball appearance. Store in airtight container up to 1 week.
Notes
Pro Tips: Always toast your nuts - this is the secret to exceptional flavor. For brown butter variation, brown the butter first and cool to room temperature before using. Cookies can be frozen up to 2 months. For nut-free version, omit nuts and add ¼ cup extra flour. Try variations with mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, or different extracts like almond or peppermint.
Nutrition
Calories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 13mgPotassium: 8mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 118IUCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.3mg
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