Russian Tea Cakes (Snowball Cookies)

They’ve gone by a crowd of names over the years — Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, butterballs — but at Grandma’s house they were simply “the snowballs,” and the first snowfall of December meant the first batch went in the oven. Little round butter cookies, nubby with finely chopped pecans, buried twice in powdered sugar until they looked like they’d been out in the weather.

They are the simplest cookie on the whole Christmas tray: no eggs, no leavening, nothing to separate or whip. Just butter, sugar, flour and nuts, mixed by hand the way Grandma did, standing at the counter in her apron with the radio on. And yet they melt — that is the only honest word — the moment they hit your tongue, leaving butter and toasted nuts and a whisper of sweetness behind.

The twice-rolled sugar is her signature. Once while the cookies are warm, so a layer melts on and sticks; once more when they’re cool, for the thick snowy coat. Skip the second roll and you’ve made a fine cookie. Do it twice and you’ve made Grandma’s.

Why This Recipe Works

• No eggs, no leavening — nothing puffs or spreads, so the cookies keep their round snowball shape and bake up tender and crumbly instead of cakey.
• Finely chopped nuts, all the way through — chopping the pecans small means every bite gets toasted nut flavor without big chunks breaking the cookie apart.
• The double sugar roll — the warm roll melts on and seals the cookie; the second roll, once cool, builds the thick white coat that makes them look like snowballs.

Russian Tea Cakes (Snowball Cookies)

Tender, melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies with finely chopped pecans, baked round and rolled twice in powdered sugar. The Christmas snowballs from Grandma's cookie tin.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 48 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 75

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus about 1 cup more for rolling
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

Method

 

1. In a large bowl, stir together the softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla until smooth and creamy — a wooden spoon and a little patience is all Grandma ever used.
2. Stir in the flour and salt until a crumbly dough forms, then mix in the finely chopped pecans. Work the last of the flour in with your hands until the dough holds together.
3. Cover and chill the dough at least 1 hour, until firm enough to roll without sticking.
4. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll the cold dough into 1-inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets — these barely spread.
5. Bake 10–12 minutes, until the cookies are set and the bottoms are just barely golden. The tops should stay pale — do not let them brown.
6. While the cookies are still warm, roll them gently in powdered sugar to coat, and set them on a wire rack. They are delicate now, so use a light hand.
7. When the cookies are completely cool, roll them in powdered sugar a second time for the thick snowy finish. Shake off the excess and store.

Notes

Storage: airtight tin at room temperature up to 2 weeks — the flavor deepens after a day or two. A quick extra dusting of sugar before serving makes them look fresh-fallen.

Freeze: baked cookies freeze up to 3 months; re-roll in powdered sugar after thawing. Unbaked dough balls also freeze well.

Nutrition is an estimate per cookie.

Grandma’s Tips

1. Chop the nuts fine, finer than you think. Big pieces make the balls crumble when you roll them. Grandma chopped hers almost to a coarse meal, with a few slightly bigger bits for texture.
2. Don’t skip the chill. Warm butter dough sticks to your hands and flattens in the oven. One hour in the fridge and the balls roll like marbles.
3. Pale tops, set bottoms. These cookies should not brown on top. If the tops are coloring, your oven runs hot — drop it by 25 degrees next tray.
4. Roll warm, but gently. The first sugar coat goes on while they’re warm enough to melt it on. They’re fragile at this stage, so roll them like you’re handling eggs — because in a way, you are.
5. Toast the nuts for a deeper flavor. Five minutes in a dry skillet, cooled before chopping, makes the whole cookie taste like a special occasion. Grandma did this for the Christmas batch only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Russian tea cakes and Mexican wedding cookies the same cookie?

Essentially, yes — the same butter, flour, nut and powdered-sugar cookie shows up in many cultures under many names: Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, snowballs, butterballs, even polvorones. Walnut, pecan and almond versions all belong to the same happy family.

Why did my cookies flatten in the oven?

The dough was too warm, or the butter was melted rather than softened. Chill the dough the full hour, and if your kitchen is warm, chill the rolled balls on the tray for 15 minutes before baking.

Why is my dough crumbly and hard to roll?

This dough starts crumbly — that’s normal. Press and squeeze it together with warm hands and it will come together. If it truly won’t hold, knead in a teaspoon of milk at a time until it just binds.

Can I make them nut-free?

You can leave the nuts out entirely; the cookies will be plainer but still tender and good. Some families add mini chocolate chips in place of the nuts for the grandchildren’s tray.

How far ahead can I make snowball cookies?

They’re one of the best make-aheads on the tray — baked cookies keep 2 weeks in a tin and freeze for 3 months. Just give them a fresh roll in powdered sugar before serving so they look their snowy best.