Russian tea cakes are quick-to-make cookies with a few simple ingredients and deliver big on presentation. Toasted walnuts give each cookie a nutty flavor that blends perfectly with the buttery and slightly crisp texture. The hot cookies are rolled in powdered sugar to add just the right sweetness and create a soft, sugary coating.
These little cookies are known by a few different names, including snowball cookies, Mexican wedding cookies, and Italian wedding cookies. While perfect as an everyday afternoon treat to serve with tea or coffee, their white sugary exterior makes them ready for any occasion that calls for cookies. I love serving these buttery cookies at Christmas time because they have a snow-covered appearance! For more holiday cookie recipes, try my shortbread cookie recipe, spritz cookie recipe, or linzer cookie recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Butter – unsalted butter is softened and beaten until fluffy to give these classic cookies a buttery, tender texture that melts in your mouth.
Powdered Sugar – lots of confectioners’ sugar sweetens the cookie dough, and the hot cookies are rolled in additional sugar to give them a snowball appearance. A key ingredient for this recipe!
Walnuts – finely chopped walnuts add crunch and a nutty flavor that Russian tea cake cookies are known for. For the best flavor, use toasted walnuts. You can use pecans or almonds as a substitute.
How to Make Russian Tea Cakes
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Chop the walnuts very finely.
2. In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, ¾ cup of powdered sugar, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the chopped walnuts and vanilla, and mix on low speed.
4. With the mixer running, gradually add in the all-purpose flour until fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl down and mix in any bits of flour or butter with your spatula.
5. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are a very light golden brown on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool just enough to handle, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Place the remaining ¾ cup of powdered sugar in a bowl, then roll the warm cookies in the sugar and set aside to cool completely on a wire rack. Sift a bit more confectioners’ sugar over the cookies before serving.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Toast the walnuts for the best flavor. Use toasted walnuts for extra flavor. You can follow my toasted walnuts recipe, just make sure you give them plenty of time to cool before chopping and adding to the cookie dough.
- Remove the cookies from the oven when the bottoms are light golden brown. The cookies are done when the bottoms turn very light golden brown. Monitor the cookies during the last couple of minutes to prevent overbaking which will result in dry cookies.
- Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while hot. The powdered sugar will stick best to hot cookies, so roll them in the sugar as soon as you can handle them, about 3-4 minutes after removing them from the oven.
- Dust with additional sugar just before serving. To give these melt-in-your-mouth cookies a final touch, sift a little more confectioners’ sugar over them before serving. You can also sift a little sugar around them to give your serving tray a snowy look.
- Vary the flavor. Make these tea cakes with walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, or any combination of nut varieties. Toasted nuts will always taste the best! You can add mini chocolate chips for a nut-free version or beat citrus zest in with the butter for a citrusy zing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Cookies can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Serve this Russian tea cake recipe after dinner with hot chocolate or a wassail, while trimming the tree, or watching a holiday movie. The powdered sugar on these cookies is tasty with Irish coffee or eggnog too! These are the perfect little cookies to add to a cookie board with Christmas crack, turtles or candied pecans, and some sprigs of greenery.
While the exact origin of this recipe’s name is not known, they are particularly tasty when served with tea. Russian tea cakes are enjoyed around the world and also go by the names Mexican wedding cakes and Italian wedding cookies because they are often served at weddings and other celebrations in those cultures.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Russian Tea Cakes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
- 1½ cups powdered sugar divided (180g)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts (120g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, ¾ cup of powdered sugar, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the chopped walnuts and vanilla, and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, gradually add in the flour until fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl down and mix in any bits of flour or butter with your spatula.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are a very light golden brown on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool just enough to handle, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Place the remaining ¾ cup of powdered sugar in a bowl, then roll the warm cookies in the sugar and set aside to cool completely. Sift a bit more confectioners’ sugar over the cookies before serving.
Notes
- Toast the walnuts for the best flavor. Use toasted walnuts for extra flavor. You can follow my toasted walnuts recipe, just make sure you give them plenty of time to cool before chopping and adding to the cookie dough.
- Remove the cookies from the oven when the bottoms are light golden brown. The cookies are done when the bottoms turn very light golden brown. Monitor the cookies during the last couple of minutes to prevent overbaking which will result in dry cookies.
- Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while hot. The powdered sugar will stick best to hot cookies, so roll them in the sugar as soon as you can handle them, about 3-4 minutes after removing them from the oven.
- Dust with additional sugar just before serving. To give these melt-in-your-mouth cookies a final touch, sift a little more confectioners’ sugar over them before serving. You can also sift a little sugar around them to give your serving tray a snowy look.
- Vary the flavor. Make these tea cakes with walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, or any combination of nut varieties. Toasted nuts will always taste the best! You can add mini chocolate chips for a nut-free version or beat citrus zest in with the butter for a citrusy zing.
