Description
Russian Tea Balls are delicate, buttery cookies packed with chopped walnuts and flavored with vanilla. These crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth treats are rolled in powdered sugar for a festive, snowy finish. Perfect for holiday gatherings or as a delightful snack with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 cups walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
Coating
- Powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Cream Butter, Sugar & Vanilla: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is fluffy and light in color. This helps create a tender texture in the cookies.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt to evenly distribute the salt within the flour.
- Incorporate Flour Mixture: Gradually add the flour and salt mixture to the creamed butter mixture a little at a time, mixing gently to combine. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Add Walnuts: Stir in the chopped walnuts thoroughly until they are evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
- Shape Dough Balls: Form the dough into 1-inch diameter balls. Place them about 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet to allow for slight spreading during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Bake the balls for 20 minutes until the edges are very lightly golden but the cookies remain pale overall.
- Cool and Roll in Sugar: Transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Once cooled, roll each cookie in powdered sugar until fully coated to create the classic snowy finish.
Notes
- Use softened butter (not melted) to achieve the right dough consistency and texture.
- Chop walnuts finely or to your preferred consistency for texture.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent them from drying out.
- These cookies can be made ahead and keep well for up to two weeks.
- For a nut-free version, substitute walnuts with an equal amount of seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
- Rolling in powdered sugar while warm helps it stick better, but be careful handling the hot cookies.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Russian
Keywords: Russian Tea Balls, Nut Cookies, Walnut Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Tea Time Cookies, Powdered Sugar Cookies, Classic Cookies
