Cuisine European Eastern European Russian Russian Tea Cakes 4.7 (1,571) 1,219 Reviews 191 Photos These Russian tea cakes are rolled in powdered sugar for a sweet finish and a snowball-like appearance. My grandmother "Bubba" brought this Russian tea cake recipe with her when she came from Lithuania, and now my family has made it for many generations. I pass it on in the true spirit of the holiday season! Submitted by THEAUNT708 Updated on November 29, 2023 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 191 191 191 191 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Additional Time: 15 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 36 Yield: 3 dozen cookies Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Russian tea cakes (a.k.a. snowball cookies) are incredibly easy to make with pantry staples. The melt-in-your-mouth dessert is a simple way to satisfy your sweet tooth during the holiday season. Russian Tea Cake Ingredients Believe it or not, you'll need just five ingredients to make this bakery-worthy Russian tea cake recipe: Butter: These easy Russian tea cakes start with a stick of unsalted butter.Vanilla: A teaspoon of vanilla extract enhances the flavor and adds complexity.Flour: All-purpose flour adds structure and holds the dough together.Sugar: You'll need powdered sugar for the dough and to roll the tea cakes.Walnuts: Finely chopped walnuts add nutty flavor and welcome crunch. Philly Ry How to Make Russian Tea Cakes You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make Russian tea cakes: Make the dough: Cream the butter and vanilla. Mix the flour and sugar together, then stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in the walnuts.Bake the dough: Roll the dough into balls and bake until the edges are golden.Roll in sugar: Cool the baked cookies, then roll in powdered sugar. How to Store Russian Tea Cakes Store the Russian tea cakes in a shallow, airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Can You Freeze Russian Tea Cakes? Yes! But it's best to freeze Russian tea cakes before you roll them in powdered sugar. Arrange them on a baking sheet, cover, and flash freeze for a few hours or up to overnight. Transfer the now-frozen cookies to a zip-top bag or another freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge, then roll in powdered sugar before serving. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise "I made these as a wedding gift for a friend, and my whole family is blown away at how good these cookies are," says Lilith Brown. "I'm an ultra-novice baker and these were super easy and delicious!" "So simple, so easy, so good," raves Carrie Taylor. "It ain't Christmas till my kitchen smells like Russian tea cookies! This is the easiest and best recipe. Whipped up a quick batch after the kids went to bed for our cookie walk at school tomorrow." "I followed the recipe exactly and the cookies turned out buttery and melt-in-your-mouth soft," according to Grace Kim. "For the walnuts, I used a food processor to chop them because I wanted my cookies to be velvety smooth with a fine crumb." Editorial contributions by Corey Williams Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 36 servings 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 cup finely chopped walnuts ⅓ cup powdered sugar, or more as needed Directions Gather all ingredients. Victoria Jempty/Allrecipes Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cream butter and vanilla together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Victoria Jempty/Allrecipes Whisk flour and 6 tablespoons powdered sugar together in separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until just blended. Add walnuts and mix until incorporated; mixture may be crumbly. Victoria Jempty/Allrecipes Victoria Jempty/Allrecipes Take small scoops of dough and roll between your hands into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Victoria Jempty/Allrecipes Bake in the preheated oven until edges are just turning golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Place remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll cooled cookies in the powdered sugar once or twice. Victoria Jempty/Allrecipes Enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios I Made It Print 2,597 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 101 Calories 7g Fat 8g Carbs 1g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 36 Calories 101 % Daily Value * Total Fat 7g 9% Saturated Fat 3g 17% Cholesterol 14mg 5% Sodium 1mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 8g 3% Dietary Fiber 0g 1% Total Sugars 2g Protein 1g 3% Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 6mg 0% Iron 0mg 2% Potassium 24mg 1% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.