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Cozy Russian Tea Cake Cookies: Best Holiday Baking Recipe

russian tea cake cookies - featured image
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These buttery, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are a holiday classic. With a snowy coating of powdered sugar and simple ingredients, they’re perfect for cookie exchanges and festive gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (120g) finely chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
  3. Add ½ cup powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
  4. Beat in the vanilla extract until just combined.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt.
  6. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be crumbly but will come together.
  7. Gently fold in the finely chopped nuts with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
  8. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are set but not browned.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. While still warm, gently roll each cookie in a bowl of powdered sugar (first coating). Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Once completely cool, roll the cookies in powdered sugar again (second coating).

Notes

Don’t overbake; cookies should be pale. Chill dough if too sticky. Toast nuts for deeper flavor. Use a fine-mesh sieve for final dusting. Cookies improve after a day.

Nutrition

Keywords: Russian tea cake, snowball cookies, holiday cookies, Christmas cookies, pecan cookies, butter cookies, powdered sugar cookies

Find it online: https://tinastirs.com/cozy-russian-tea-cake-cookies-best-holiday-baking-recipe/