These Russian Tea Cookies are buttery soft, sugar-dusted tea cakes that are so easy to make. Also called Snowball Cookies, these sweet little treats make a delicious little dessert or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Russian Tea Cookies
Despite that in the US these cookies are usually baked for Christmas, in all post-Soviet countries they are a regular treat you can find in any grocery store.
These cute cookies are sweet, with a light buttery flavor and they pair perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee.
What's not to like?
How about the fact that Russian Tea Cookies are also ridiculously easy to make?
You don't need special equipment and just the basic ingredients we all have in a pantry. These are great for weekend baking with a kids and I'm sure they'll love to roll these cookies in powdered sugar.
The more - the merrier:)
Russian Tea Cakes
Although it's believed that these tea cakes originated in Russia, no one knows for sure the history behind them.
US, Mexico and several other European countries have their own version of this recipe. They all have different names - Snowball Cookies, Mexican Cakes, Italian Wedding Cookies.
One thing is true- these cookies are so popular thanks to their simplicity and great taste.
How to store Russian tea cookies?
Cookies dusted with powdered sugar tend to become soggy when stored. In order to ensure maximum freshness, I recommend rolling in sugar only that portion of cookies that you're planning to consume on the same day.
Store the remaining (unrolled in sugar) cookies in the airtight container in a fridge for 3-4 days. When ready to consume, roll them in powdered sugar and enjoy!
Similar Recipes
Recipe
Russian Tea Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 oz) butter, softened
- 2 tablespoon cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 c + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ c walnuts chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ c powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add softened butter, salt, sugar and Vanilla extract and mix with a hand mixer until combined, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in walnuts and flour and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. Continue kneading for a few more minutes with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated. Don't over-knead.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, slightly flatten it and put in a fridge for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the fridge, discard plastic wrap and divide the dough into 20 even size balls. Place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking dish and chill in a fridge for 20 minutes.
- At the same time preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake cookies for 20 minutes. It's not supposed to brown on top.
- Remove cookies from the oven and transfer on a cooling rack.
- Add powdered sugar to a medium bowl. When cookies are no longer hot to handle roll them in powdered sugar until they are white on all sides.
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Barbara says
We love these cookies. So light and delicious. I have also used chopped pecans instead of walnuts.
Iryna Bychkiv says
Barbara, thank you for sharing! I'm happy you enjoyed these cookies recipe!
Nina Kulish says
They look cute and perfect for Christmas time. Will try. Thanks for the recipe.
Ann says
Hey Iryna! The recipe is too good to be true! These sweet little treats are so cute! I’ve been to Russia twice in the last two years, but to be honest, I’ve never come across something like these tea cookies… I’m so excited at the idea of giving the recipe a try. We’ll probably make these together with my kiddos next weekend. They’d love these.
Thank you so much for sharing such a fab idea with us. It seems that I’ve just fallen in love with your blog. I’ve just bookmarked it. I’ll be coming around often. Keep it up!
Best wishes,
Ann
Iryna says
Hi Ann!Thank you for your kind words! I hope you'll give these cookies a try! They are really good!:)