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Russian Tea Cakes Cookie Recipe

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Russian Tea Cakes are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

A bowl of powder sugar covered cookies called Russian Tea Cakes

Old-world Russian Tea Cakes are easy to make and eat!

Russian Tea Cakes are also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies, Snowball cookies, Butter Balls or just plain Tea Cakes. These crunchy sugar-dusted nut balls are not too sweet and easy to make making them great for the holidays.

This cookie recipe brings a flood of happy memories to mind. Even the smell of them baking triggers vivid thoughts of my mom and the years when our own children were small.

I’ve been making these cookies since I was a young girl, and given that I’m a grandmother now, that’s been a while.

An old photocopy of a list of cookie recipes

I still have my mom’s original typed recipe that I keep in a plastic sleeve.

As you can tell, this recipe is very old and barely held together with tape. I work from a photocopy now so it won’t deteriorate any more.

This recipe for Russian Tea Cakes has been well loved for a very long time. The description reads “crunchy, sugar-dusted nut balls” and that pretty much says it all.

These are hands-down, without a doubt, my husband’s favorite cookie for the holidays.

The ingredients are simple, and I believe that’s why these are so good. I’m often baffled how recipes using the same list of ingredients can turn out so different, but they do!

The science of baking is absolutely fascinating.

 

 

A side view of a bowl of Mexican Wedding Cookies

Overview: Ingredients needed to make Russian Tea Cakes:

  • powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar to sweeten the cookie dough and more for rolling the hot baked cookies
  • all-purpose flour
  • salt
  • unsalted butter at room temperature
  • vanilla extract
  • finely ground grated pecans

How to make Russian Tea Cakes

  1. First preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. Next sift together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, flour and salt. Pour the sifted flour mixture in a large bowl and add the butter, vanilla and grated pecans.
  3. Using an electric or stand mixer blend on low until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.
  4. Pour the remaining powdered sugar in a shallow pie plate or bowl; set aside.
  5. Scoop the dough and firmly roll into 1-inch balls. Place on a cool ungreased parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
  6. Immediately remove from the oven and toss several cookies in the bowl of powdered sugar. Turn the cookies over until completely coated in powdered sugar.
  7. Once coated transfer to a wax paper lined rack to cool. Work quickly and repeat with all remaining hot baked cookies.
  8. Finally, after the cookies are cool roll again in powdered sugar.

Cool completely before storing the finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or cool location.

 

An overhead view of a bowl of Russian Tea Cakes coated with powdered sugar.

I’ve perfected these cookies over the years and added all my little tweaks and tricks to the notes section of the recipe card.

We’ve always used pecans as our nut of choice for these cookies, but feel free to use almonds or walnuts instead. Instead of chopping we grate the nuts for a very fine, powdery consistency. Grating the pecans is the secret to making these a terrific melt-in-your mouth cookie.

Can you freeze Russian Tea Cakes?

Absolutely! These cookies freeze well and keep for up to a week at room temperature. Stored in a cool, dry location, they last even a little longer.

Russian Tea Cakes on a holiday plate.

The cookies don’t dramatically change their shape when baked, nor do they need to get overly brown on top.

If they are browned on top, they’re probably over-baked.  Check the bottom of a cookie for a light brown color and try to make them ‘bite sized’ to prevent a sugar mess on the front of your shirt.

PRO TIPS for making the best Russian Tea Cakes:

  • This recipe calls for grated pecans. Grated pecans will have a powdery, light texture. Scoop the grated nuts into a measuring cup, then lightly tap the cup on a countertop to lightly pack the nuts. Then add more grated pecans to the cup until you reach the desired 3/4 cup total.
  • If you use chopped nuts and don’t grate the pecans I cannot guarantee these cookies will turn out correctly.
  • The flour is measured before sifting. When measuring flour, gently scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level off the top using the dull blade of a table knife.
  • If you believe your oven runs hotter than it should, you may want to bake at 375 degrees F. Test a small batch of cookies first, or reduce the time baked to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven when the tops are set and the bottom is lightly browned.
  • Don’t place the dough balls on a hot baking sheet. It’s best to alternate between cooled baking sheets or pieces of parchment. I use a rimless baking sheet so I can slide the parchment onto the cookie sheet and bake immediately.
  • Even though you can fit a large amount of unbaked cookies on each baking sheet, I prefer to bake just a few each time since you have to roll them in the powdered sugar while hot. The hot cookie melts the powdered sugar and forms an icing covering the entire cookie – yum!
  • Occasionally stir the bowl of confectioners sugar between batches of hot rolled cookies.

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A holiday bowl filled with powdered sugar covered cookies

 

 

5 from 1 vote

Russian Tea Cakes

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 27 mins
Yield: 48 Cookies
Course: Cookies
Author: Tricia
PRINT RECIPE
Also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies, Snowballs, or just Tea Cakes, these easy to make, crunchy sugar-dusted nut balls are not too sweet and melt-in-your mouth delicious!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup powdered sugar (57g)
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (284g)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (226g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup finely grated pecans measured after grating (see notes)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar for rolling the baked cookies (230g)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Sift together ½ cup of the powdered sugar, the flour and salt. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the butter, vanilla and grated pecans. Mix on low with an electric mixer until the dough is starting to come together. Increase the speed to medium and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.
  • Place the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar in a low-rimmed pie plate and set aside.
  • Scoop the dough (I use a small cookie scoop) and roll firmly into a 1-inch dough ball. Place the cookies on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.
  • Once baked, immediately remove several cookies from the baking sheet using a small spatula and turn them upside down in the bowl of powdered sugar. Allow the hot cookies to rest in the sugar for about 30 seconds then carefully turn to cover the bottoms. If you mound the powdered sugar toward the center of the plate, this will help when you go to cover each hot cookie. Working with one cookie at a time, gently turn in the sugar until the entire cookie is covered. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Working quickly, repeat with the remaining hot cookies until all are coated.
  • Once cooled (after about 1 hour) roll the cookies in powdered sugar again and store in an airtight container in a cool location. These cookies will keep about a week making them great to make ahead!

Recipe Notes

  • Grated pecans will have a powdery, light texture. Scoop the grated nuts into a measuring cup, then lightly tap the cup on a countertop to lightly pack the nuts. Then add more grated pecans to the cup until you reach the desired 3/4 cup total. If you don’t grate the pecans, I cannot guarantee these cookies will turn out correctly.
  • The flour is measured before sifting. When measuring flour, gently scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level off the top using the dull blade of a table knife.
  • If you believe your oven runs hotter than it should, you may want to bake at 375 degrees. Test a small batch of cookies first, or reduce the time baked to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven when the tops are set and the bottom is lightly browned.
  • Don’t place the dough balls on a hot baking sheet. It’s best to alternate between cooled baking sheets or pieces of parchment. 
  • Even though you can fit a large amount of unbaked cookies on each baking sheet, I prefer to bake just a few each time since you have to roll them in the powdered sugar while hot. The hot cookie melts the powdered sugar and forms an icing covering the entire cookie - yum!
  • Freeze the cooled cookies for up to 30 days.
  • Baked cookies stored in an airtight container in a dry, cool location will keep for 7 to 10 days
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

 

If you love these Russian Tea Cakes, here’s a few more recipes to try.

Classic cookies are often the best desserts on the table. We love these Lemon Meltaways for another simple, lightly sweet one-bite cookie.

These fun Vanilla Pretzel Cookies will rival those store-bought in the tin cookies any day!

How about these super simple cookies all made with 1 Dough, 4 Christmas Cookies.

Another great classic cookie with a short ingredient list, are these beautiful Holiday Pinwheel Cookies.

For another version of these snowball cookies try our Cherry Almond Tea Cake Cookies.

Originally published December 24, 2010 – updated December 20, 2017

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39 Comments

  1. jkw says

    5 stars
    This is exactly how I make and love these cookies. Well, with one exception. Instead of rolling in 10X sugar,
    I put the sugar in a zip top bag and gently toss them about. Never lost a cookie with this method. It’s much faster.

    reply to this comment >

  3. Amalia Schneider says

    Hi Tricia, what a beautiful surprise when I google for a recipe and your website shows up. I am making today for the first time these cookies. i am using gluten free flour! I hope it turns out well. I am gluten free and I used to have these cookies every Christmas.
    Merry Christmas

    reply to this comment >

  4. Dana Dabov says

    Hi Tricia & Others!

    Isn’t it amazing that our mothers & grandmothers would type out their recipes!! Mine are on index cards… also browned with age.
    I started baking at age 8… and although I rarely take time to bake these days, Russian Tea Cake cookies are also a favorite at our house and a staple for Christmas & give-away Christmas Cookie plates.
    Everyone looks forward to these!

    I have a ‘sophisticated’ twist on my RTC’s and decided to give away my “Snowball” secret to you all …

    Tricia, your description and realness of your blog prompted me to want to share.

    Since alcohol evaporates when cooked off… instead of using Vanilla as my flavoring…
    I use Chambord Liqueur.
    Depending on the consistancy of the dough, I add up to 1 Tablespoon as long as the dough isn’t too wet.
    These I roll into little balls.

    My next batch…
    I use Grand Marnier and form these into little crescents (as Susan’s mother did… an idea I got from Gourmet magazine back in the late ’80’s ?).

    Rolling cookies twice in the powdered sugar is key.

    I don’t grate my pecans… I have a coffee grinder that I only use for baking, so as not to impart the strong flavor of the coffee bean.

    Some say to make the cookies more melt in your mouth is to substitute shortening for a portion of the butter. I wouldn’t know. I prefer using real wholesome ingredients.
    (Perhaps one day I’ll experiment, but no complaints yet… ??)

    Tonight, when I bake… I’m going to be trying a new gluten free baking flour that has everything already in it to make it an even 1 to 1 exchange.
    It’s a little more expensive, but worth a try, as now a lot of my friends are eating organic and have gone gluten & dairy free (except for fresh butter made from non gmo cows – lol).

    So, Enjoy!! … if you try my little twist!
    The cookies come out delicious.

    With every best wish for a Happy Christmas and a great 2019!!

    – Dana

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      You are amazing Dana! We love Grand Marnier and cannot wait to give this a try. The coffee grinder is brilliant too! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and comment. I wish you and very Merry Christmas and a super Happy New Year! Thanks for following along.

      reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Lisa – I think that will be fine. I would roll them and flash freeze on a baking sheet before storing in an airtight container. That way they would thaw easier than if they were in one large dough ball. Enjoy! These have been a staple in our house for my whole life. Happy holidays to you and yours.

      reply to this comment >

  7. Rose says

    Hi Tricia,

    Is there any way I could get the rest of the measurements for the Finnska Kakor? This is a cookie my grandma and mother made and unfortunately I lost the recipe when we lost our home in the wildfires in Colorado a few years back. I have a same name/similar recipe in one of the little supermarket books I replaced but to me it’s never quite been right. I’d love to compare it to what you have above.

    Thanks,
    Rose

    reply to this comment >

  9. Connoe says

    Thanks for sharing such a beautiful story and recipe. I have some old recipes from my grandmother that are oh so dear to my heart. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Thanks for all your wonderful recipe that make your blog so much fun to read and cook.

    reply to this comment >

  11. Brenda says

    I live in Costa Rica and first made these here about 15 years ago. I have not met a Costa Rican who doesn’t love these cookies. Even the kids prefer these to presents. I make them every year. Personally, they are far from my favorite cookie, but I’m required to make them. I even had to make them for someone who was pregnant and desperately craving them.

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Thanks for the comment Brenda! Everybody has a favorite cookie, and these are my husbands. You are a sweet friend to make these for those in “need” of a cookie fix! These cookies are truly a favorite world-wide. I hope you and your family have a beautiful, fun and joyous Christmas! Thanks for reading and commenting. Best wishes for a wonderful New Year!

      reply to this comment >

  19. Monica says

    These indeed look perfected, Tricia! Love the presentation, love the original recipe, and all the memories these cookies evoke for you. These would surely be great to eat and also great to just wrap up that mug to gift. Hope you are having a great December. Merry Christmas and all the best for a terrific 2018 to come! xo

    reply to this comment >

  21. Anonymous says

    Hi…did you have a gluten free version of this? I have enjoyed these delicious little cookies all my life, but now that I am gluten free I really miss them.<br />cathy Smith

    reply to this comment >