Classic Russian Tea Cakes Recipe — Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

Russian Tea Cakes – melt-in-your-mouth snowball cookies to brighten every holiday celebration.

The origins of Russian Tea Cakes are a bit unclear. Also called Mexican Wedding Cakes, Italian Wedding Cookies, Snowball Cookies, or Butter Balls, they likely began in Eastern Europe and were served in Russia during 18th-century tea ceremonies. European nuns who traveled to Mexico brought the recipe with them; there, a pinch of cinnamon or anise was sometimes added and the cookies became popular at weddings.

This recipe reminds me of my mother’s Vanilla Crescent Cookie—an old family favorite. The ingredients are very similar; the main difference is an egg in that dough. In our house, Christmas always included these tender, buttery cookies.

I started from a classic Betty Crocker Russian Tea Cakes recipe and made a few adjustments to make them even more delicate. I used slightly less flour, doubled the vanilla, and reduced the salt. Instead of walnuts I prefer ground hazelnuts (filberts) because I like their flavor and they tend to be less bitter; lightly toasting walnuts can also reduce bitterness. Almonds or pecans are good alternatives as well.

Most recipes call for chopped nuts, but I prefer a mix of textures: I lightly toast and peel hazelnuts, then pulse them in a food processor until about two-thirds are finely ground and the rest remain small pieces. This gives a fine, buttery crumb with tiny nutty bites throughout the cookie.

After baking, roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar once, then let them cool completely and roll them a second time. The first coating melts a bit on the warm surface, and the second coats them evenly, giving the classic snowball appearance.

These melt-in-your-mouth Russian Tea Cakes are simple to make and a wonderful addition to any holiday cookie tray.