Snowball Cookies

10 mins Prep Time

10 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

These snowball cookies are also known as Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cakes. They are essentially a delicate shortbread, rolled into a ball, baked and covered with layers of powdered sugar when warm and rolled in more powdered sugar when cooled off. The shortbread itself is not that sweet and so the powdered sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness that makes these cookies irresistible. They are buttery, melt in your mouth, have a little bit of bite from the added nuts and are honestly hard to resist. This recipe is more or less a classic snowball cookie recipe with the option to add orange zest which gives the cookies a little bit of added complexity in flavour. They are the perfect Christmas cookies and even fit the part with their season-appropriate name and wintery aesthetic. Try these out if you are looking for a ridiculously easy Christmas cookies to add to your baking list this year.

Ingredients

Snowball Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons orange zest (optional)

Directions

Snowball Cookies

10 Steps

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2

In a small bowl, mix flour, pecans and salt. Set aside.
Step 3

Beat butter, vanilla, orange zest and powdered sugar with a mixer until creamy.
Step 4

Lower mixer speed and add dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture.
Step 5

Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes to cool and to make slightly firm so that it is easier to roll.
Step 6

Use your tablespoon to help form 1 inch balls using your palms to roll them.
Step 7

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until bottom edges of cookies are lightly browned.
Step 8

Cool a few minutes until you're able to handle the cookies. Roll in powdered sugar and place on a rack to cool completely.
Step 9

After the cookies have cooled completely roll them in powdered sugar again. The cookies are not that sweet without the powdered sugar coating so this step is essential and should absolutely not be skipped.
Step 10

Enjoy!