Russian Tea Cakes Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or silicone liner.

Step 2

Toast nuts on a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing frequently until fragrant and lightly golden.

Step 3

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla, until smooth.

Step 4

Add flour and salt and continue mixing until no streaks of flour remain. The mixture will be lumpy. Use a firm spatula to fold in the nuts until evenly incorporated.

Step 5

Use a firm spatula to fold in the chopped nuts until evenly incorporated.

Step 6

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls (using a small cookie scoop to portion the dough makes the process easy) and place them on a clean baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Bake at 400˚F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden at the base.

Step 7

Fill a bowl with 1 cup powdered sugar and roll the cookie balls in it while they are still very warm then transfer to a platter to cool completely.

Step 8

Once cookies are at room temperature, roll them in more powdered sugar to get perfect little snowballs. Cookies may be stored up to 1 week in an airtight container.