Russian tea cakes are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies rolled in powdered sugar and often called Mexican wedding cookies or snowball cookies. This version uses browned butter, maple syrup and toasted pecans to create a deeper flavor and delicate texture, and then double rolls them in powdered sugar.
This is an updated recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. It has been updated with modern baking methods and better ingredients to improve the taste and texture. First, this recipe uses all the finest ingredients. Then it uses browned butter and toasted pecans to deepen the flavor and adds maple sugar to improve the texture while adding flavor. They are double rolled in powdered sugar – once while they are still warm, and then again before being served. The double roll helps keep the powdered sugar on the cookies and creates an especially rich, melt in your mouth flavor.
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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of contents
What is a Russian Tea Cakes (Mexican Wedding Cookies, Snowball Cookie)
Russian tea cakes are delicate, buttery cookies rolled in powdered sugar and known by several names around the world, including Russian Tea Cookies, Mexican wedding cookies and snowball cookies. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are a classic holiday favorite.
Ingredients
The key to making the best Russian tea cakes is to use the best ingredients and the best method.
We made a number of changes to the traditional recipe. We wanted to give the cookies more flavor and better texture. The traditional family recipe made a cookie that was dry and crumbly inside and not very sweet. We fixed that by adding some moisture to activate the gluten in the flour, using ground nuts to add moisture and then rolling them in powdered sugar twice to make them sweeter.
The nuts were toasted, the butter was browned, the vanilla was doubled, maple syrup was added, and the sugar was homemade superfine sugar to give the cookies a sweetness without the pasty texture of powdered sugar. Each of these changes added a little more flavor. This recipe is much easier if the sugar is ground, the butter is browned (beurre noisette), and the nuts are toasted ahead of time. We do all of this ahead and have a supply on hand in the pantry or refrigerator.
These cookies are known for being crumbly because of the amount of nuts in them and because the only water in the recipe is from the butter. By browning the butter, we have removed the small amount of water that was in the butter. By adding the maple sugar, we are adding back some water. The maple sugar is added to the flour and the flour is allowed to sit for five minutes in order to activate the gluten in the flour so the cookies are not too crumbly. The maple sugar also adds some extra flavor and sweetness to the cookies.
Using the best ingredients creates the best cookies. I name the brands I use in the recipe, so there is no guessing. There is a detailed explanation for why I use each brand on the “quality brands” page.
- All-Purpose Flour – King Arthur Organic All-Purpose flour King Arthur responsibly sources the wheat for their flours, and it pays off in the taste and quality. They have a “never bleached” guarantee, which means their flours don’t have an off taste or unpredictable results that can be caused by bleaching. They also carefully calibrate the protein content, so the flour gives you the same results everytime.
- Sugar – Wholesome regenerative organic sugar produced from organic sugar cane fields that are green cut and are not burned or treated with herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. Burning sugar cane fields contributes to air pollution, climate change, and is also a major cause of the destruction of the rain forest.
- Milk, Cream, Butter – Horizon Organics – Milk, Cream and Butter that are produced organically, sustainably, and responsibly. You can taste the difference.
- Sunflower Oil – La Tourangelle Organic Regenerative Sunflower Oil is a great substitute for butter. The flavor works well in cookies, and the oil gives the cookies a fudgy center and crisp edges.
- Salt – Diamond Kosher tastes cleaner and measures differently.
- Sorghum Syrup – We make our own brown sugar substitute by adding Golden Barrel Sorghum Syrup. More convenient than brown sugar and not made from sugar cane. It creates a taste like brown sugar but more like caramel than the molasses in brown sugar.
- Vanilla – Baker’s Imitation Vanilla Flavoring The flavor or real vanilla and imitation is indistinguishable when high heat is used. Double the usual amount of vanilla called for to improve the flavor.
No Affiliates Statement
We call this our “no affiliates” statement because we accept no advertising, have no affiliates and accept no payment. We are not paid to mention brands – we just love buying the best, sharing that information and saving the planet at the same time. The effort put into writing and photographing the blog is solely based on our dedication to the cause.
Sustainability
Every ingredient we choose has an impact. The good news is that small, thoughtful decisions in the kitchen can support more sustainable farming practices and better food systems overall.
My experience working in agriculture taught me how much these choices matter—from soil health to water use to long-term sustainability. This recipe reflects those values. In the ingredients section, you’ll find simple insights into each ingredient, so you can make informed choices without overcomplicating the process.
Method for making Cookies
This recipe uses an easy, foolproof method that requires only a few minutes of active time. Check out our Master Cookie Making Method for a more detailed explanation on how this works.
- Measure the dry ingredients by weight
- Measure the wet ingredients by weight
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together without overmixing.
- Chill the mixture
- Weigh out cookies
- Bake
This recipe uses our Master Cookie Making Method. An easy, foolproof, updated way of making ice cream.
Why this works
These cookies are made with all the best quality ingredients and an updated master cookie making method, so the recipe is easy, accurate, and foolproof. With a background in agriculture and a knowledge of sustainable products, I found the best quality ingredients that will provide consistency and flavor. Because I helped create California’s organic regulations, I deeply value sustainable food — and all my recipes are designed around the best possible ingredients. The ingredients are chosen for taste, but they also support growers who are using sustainable growing methods. This makes every cookie a small but meaningful act of sustainability.
Variations
- Change the nuts – walnut snowballs, pecan snowballs, pistachio snowballs
- Add spices – Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ras el Hanout
- Add dried fruit – cranberries, cherries
Gifting
These cookies look great in the Christmas gift boxes. They stay soft for several days thanks to the powdered sugar and nuts, making them ideal for mailing or bringing to celebrations. And the look of snowballs makes them perfect for the Christmas Holiday season.
The Family Tradition of Making Russian Tea Cakes
We have a family tradition of making Russian Tea Cakes for special occasions.There are a number of similar cookies, such as Snowballs, Mexican wedding cookies, and in our house Finnish cookies. Tony’s mother is half Finnish and she remembers her Finnish Grandmother making them when she was a child, so she has always called them Finnish cookies. Over the years we have made a few changes to her Grandmother’s version, though. This version is made with pecans and maple syrup, ingredients that are native to America, so we should probably call them American snowball cookies at this point, but we are not going to mess with tradition that much.
Russian tea cakes have a long history, rooted in the religious traditions of Eastern Europe. Russian tea cakes, now also known as snowball cookies, are buttery, tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that were brought to the United States from Europe in the early 20th century. The cookies originated in Russia and were brought to the United States by immigrants who settled in the Midwest. They first became popular after World War II, and were considered a special treat at holiday gatherings. To this day, Russian tea cakes remain a holiday tradition for many families. They have become popular around Christmas time, where their delicate flavor and festive appearance add to the joy of the season. People enjoy baking and decorating these classic treats with their family, taking part in the beloved tradition that has been passed down through generations. To this day, many families in Russia still enjoy this treat during important holidays and festive occasions such as Christmas and Easter. In addition, Russian tea cakes are often served after wedding ceremonies in Mexico, giving them the name “Mexican Wedding Cookies.” No matter what you call them, these cookies are sure to bring joy to any gathering.
RECIPE
CHOOSING BRANDS:
For certain products, the choice of brand will make a big difference in the outcome of the recipe and in your carbon footprint. So, for those products, we have listed the brand. We are not paid to mention a brand and have no affiliates.
Ingredients
- 250 grams Gold Medal unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 220 grams Terrasoul pecans toasted
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 227 grams Horizon unsalted butter browned and cooled
- 60 grams Wholesome regenerative organic sugar ground superfine
- 2 teaspoons Heilala alcohol free vanilla extract
- 2 cups Wholesome powdered sugar
Instructions
- Allow the ingredients to come to room temperature (about 65 degrees). This may take about an hour.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. This may take about half an hour.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Measure the flour into a bowl.
- Sprinkle the maple syrup over the top of the flour and stir.
- Add the salt to the flour mixture.
- Using the food processor, finely grind half the pecans, stopping before they start to clump. Do not over process the nuts or they will become nut butter. Add the ground pecans to the flour mixture.
- Using the food processor, coarsely chop the rest of the pecans. Add the chopped pecans to the flour mixture and stir the flour and nuts together.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle, soften the butter by beating it on medium for about a minute. Do not let the temperature of the butter exceed 68 degrees F.
- Add the sugar and cream the butter and sugar on medium for about three minutes, until the mixture is light colored and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla, mixing just until the vanilla is incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low just until mixed, about 30 seconds. Do not overwork the dough. Scraping down the sides and mix in any remaining flour by hand.
- Roll the dough into balls about the size of a walnut and place on the baking sheet about two inches apart.
- Bake until they are set, but not browning, about 20 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a minute on the baking sheet.
- Place the powdered sugar in a bowl and carefully roll each cookie, one at a time, in the powdered sugar to coat it and then place it on a rack to cool.
- When the cookies have cooled, reroll each cookie in the powdered sugar and then give them a final dusting of powdered sugar by sifting some over the top of the cookies.
Nutrition
WHY THIS RECIPE IS A GAME CHANGER:
This recipe is a total game-changer — crafted with the finest [brand name] ingredients, simplified using a master recipe with pro-tested techniques from top chefs and bakers, and designed for deliciously sustainable cooking made easy.”
Photos by Tony Fitzgerald Photography
Recipes created by Lisa LeCoump — Food Photographer, Agricultural Expert, and Home Baker. Sharing master recipes, chef secrets, and sustainable baking for every kitchen. Featured on various publications.