Russian Tea Cake Snowballs
Buttery pecan shortbread snowballs rolled in powdered sugar—also called Mexican wedding cookies; a USA Christmas cookie-tin essential. Bake until just golden underneath; cool before the second sugar coat.
đź›’Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
🔧Kitchen Tools Needed
- Mixing bowls
- Baking sheets
- Cookie scoop
- Parchment
đź“ťInstructions
- 1
Heat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Add flour and salt, then pecans, until a soft dough forms.
- 2
Scoop 1-inch balls onto parchment-lined sheets.
- 3
Bake 12–15 minutes until set and lightly golden on the bottoms—do not brown the tops.
- 4
Cool 5 minutes; roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool completely; roll again in powdered sugar for a snowy finish.
- 5
Store airtight up to 1 week.
🥗Nutrition Information
⚡Calories per serving: 110
🏷️Recipe Tags
âť“Frequently Asked Questions
Walnut swap?
Yes—finely chop walnuts or almonds the same way.
Crumbly dough?
Knead gently with clean hands until it holds; butter should be soft, not melted.
Make ahead?
Freeze baked cookies; re-dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Food safety?
No raw egg in this dough; bake until set; store cool and dry.
🍯You might also like
❤️Love this recipe?
Discover more delicious homemade recipes like this one
🍳Browse More Recipes