Russian Tea Cakes

Classic, old-fashioned Christmas cookies! Russian tea cakes - also called snowball cookies - are sweet, buttery shortbread cookies dusted in powdered sugar. They're festive and super easy to make.

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword Russian Tea Cakes, snowball cookies

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings large round cookies

Calories 131kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) salted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
½ cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 ¼ cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour, measured by weighing or spooning and leveling
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup finely chopped pecans (or sub walnuts)
Additional powdered sugar, for coating

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually mix into the butter mixture. The dough may look crumbly initially; continue mixing until it holds together. Mix in the pecans.
Roll the dough into balls (about the size of golf balls). Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the dough feels soft or sticky, refrigerate for about 30-60 minutes before baking.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set with lightly golden bottoms; the tops should remain pale.
Let cool slightly until the cookies are warm (but easy to handle), then gently roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.
Cool completely on wire racks and roll in powdered sugar again.

Notes

The cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for at least 1 week. They do not need to be refrigerated; however, I find that if the house is really humid, the powdered sugar stays dry best when stored in the refrigerator.

These cookies freeze really well, too! Just package in airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When thawed, you will probably need to re-roll the balls in powdered sugar.

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