Description
Mom’s Classic Russian Tea Cakes are tender, buttery cookies with a delightful nutty crunch, lovingly rolled in powdered sugar. This traditional recipe, also known as snowballs or wedding cookies, is a timeless family favorite perfect for holidays and celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (279g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup finely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds)
For Rolling
- Powdered sugar, for coating
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and to ensure even baking.
- Make Dough: Using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes fluffy. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt, mixing until the dough forms a cohesive ball. Stir in the finely chopped nuts evenly. If the dough feels too soft for handling, chill it in the refrigerator until firm enough to scoop.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Place them spaced evenly on the prepared cookie sheets to allow room for baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes, or until the bottoms just begin to turn a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool for about a minute until cool enough to handle without breaking.
- Roll in Sugar: Fill a small bowl with powdered sugar and gently roll each warm cookie in the sugar until fully coated. This gives them their signature snowy appearance.
- Cool and Re-roll: Place the coated cookies on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you may want to re-roll the cookies in powdered sugar for an extra thick sugary coating.
- Storage: These cookies can be frozen for longer storage or made up to 4 days ahead of serving, keeping them fresh and delicious.
Notes
- This recipe is a beloved family classic, often called Russian Tea Cakes, snowballs, or wedding cookies.
- Chilling the dough helps if it’s too soft to handle easily, ensuring perfect cookie shapes.
- Use any of pecans, walnuts, or almonds for a nutty flavor—choose your favorite or mix them.
- Re-rolling in powdered sugar after cooling enhances the sweetness and appearance.
- Cookies freeze well—wrap tightly to maintain freshness for later enjoyment.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 71 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 13 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
