Russian Tea Cakes 1

These tender butter cookies—loaded with finely ground pecans and rolled in powdered sugar—are also called, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Swedish Teacakes and so on, but during the Christmas holiday season, my family fondly calls them snowball cookies.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3/4 cup pecans, finely ground*
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar for rolling

Cooking Directions:

1. In medium bowl, combine flour, salt and pecans; set aside.
2. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; gradually add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture; mixing well. Chill dough until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
6. Roll cookies in additional powdered sugar while warm. Cool on wire racks and roll cookies again in powdered sugar.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

*Use a food processor or blender and pulse to process the pecans to a fine, crumbly ground, but not so much that it turns to butter.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/48 of recipe): 67.8 calories; 65% calories from fat; 5.1g total fat; 10.2mg cholesterol; 37.2mg sodium; 14.5mg potassium; 4.9g carbohydrates; 0.3g fiber; 0.2g sugar; 4.5g net carbs; 0.8g protein.

Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.