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"Powdered sugar snowball cookies piled on a blue decorative plate, featuring buttery homemade cookies generously coated in confectioners' sugar."

Russian Tea Cakes

Description Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Russian Tea Cakes rolled in powdered sugar until they look like little snowballs. Tender, nutty, and full of old-fashioned comfort.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Course: Dessert, Cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus about 1 cup more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls, mixer or wooden spoon, baking sheets, cooling rack, shallow bowl for sugar

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Beat softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
  3. Add flour and salt, stirring until just combined. Fold in pecans.
  4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
  5. Bake 12–15 minutes until bottoms are just barely golden and tops are still pale.
  6. Cool 3–4 minutes until handleable. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.
  7. Cool completely, then roll in powdered sugar a second time.
  8. Store in a tin or airtight container.
  9. Notes Do not overbake—pale tops are correct. Double roll in powdered sugar for the classic snowy finish. Cookies improve after a day in the tin.

Notes

Do not overbake—pale tops are correct. Double roll in powdered sugar for the classic snowy finish. Cookies improve after a day in the tin.