Sourdough Russian Tea Cakes (Snowball Cookies)
Sourdough Russian tea cakes are nut-filled, buttery cookies rolled in powdered sugar. This easy one-bowl recipe is made with 7 simple pantry ingredients for a simple Christmas cookie.
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These little cookies are simple to make and look like cute little snowball cookies with their powdered sugar coating, perfect to enjoy during Christmas time.
Russian tea cakes are made the world over and called by a variety of different names, including classic butter balls, Mexican wedding cookies (or cakes), snowballs, pecan balls, or Italian wedding cookies. Whatever you call this simple cookie, they’re a must-have during the holiday season. A classic for any Christmas cookie platter.
This sourdough Russian teacake recipe is my husband’s favorite Christmas cookie and the only one he requests. Don’t let their simplicity fool you, these buttery shortbread cookies melt in your mouth and are simply perfect with a cup of dark coffee. But let’s be honest, what cookie isn’t delightful with a cup of coffee?
What Are Russian Tea Cakes Made Of?
These Russian tea cake cookies get a sourdough make-over! Add sourdough starter discard into this classic recipe to create a melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
- Sourdough starter – Sourdough Russian tea cakes are a great use for sourdough discard so it doesn’t go to waste. In addition, the acidity of sourdough discard inhibits gluten strands from forming, resulting in soft, tender baked goods.
- Butter – Use room-temperature unsalted butter and then add salt to taste. Salted butter varies in saltiness from brand to brand, so using unsalted butter allows us to have full control over the salt level in these cookies.
- Sugar – Powdered sugar, sometimes referred to as confectioners’ sugar, is the only sugar we will use in this recipe. (No granulated or brown sugar)
- Vanilla extract – Use either homemade or store-bought vanilla extract.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is the perfect protein content for cookies.
- Salt – Adds flavor to baked goods.
- Nuts – Finely chopped nuts add a nutty flavor and a welcome crunch to these sweet cookies. Popular choices are walnuts (what I usually use), pecans, and almonds. However, feel free to use your favorite nut. Adding nuts is the traditional way of making these cookies, but leaving them out provides an easy and delicious egg-free/nut-free cookie option.
How to Make Russian Tea Cake Cookies
Prep
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
Add 70 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar to a small bowl for rolling cookies in and set aside.
Mix the Dough
Cream 168 g (1 1/2 cup) of unsalted butter and 60 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar in a large bowl using a hand mixer on low speed gradually increasing to medium speed. Mix in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 100 g (scant 1/2 cup) sourdough starter discard.
Add 219 g (1 3/4 cups) flour and 1/4 tsp salt right over the wet ingredients. Mix the salt into the flour first before incorporating with the rest of the ingredients.
Finely chop 120 g (1 cup) nuts and fold into the cookie dough.
Shape
The cookie dough will be crumbly at first. Continue to mix until a cohesive dough forms. Scoop small balls using a medium cookie scoop (roughly 1 tbsp) and roll them into a smooth ball before placing them onto the prepared baking sheet with 1-inch spacing. The cookies will puff up a bit but spread too much, so you can fit them fairly close together.
Bake
Bake for 21-23 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are a light golden brown. Be sure to not overbake.
Remove the sourdough Russian tea cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack. Roll cookies in additional powdered sugar while they’re still warm and then a second time after they’re cool.
Store
Place cookies in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between layers. Store at room temperature and best enjoyed within 5 days.
FAQs and Tips
Can Russian Tea Cake Cookies Be Frozen?
Yes! Sourdough Russian tea cakes can be frozen after they are baked. Allow cookies to cool completely. Next, place cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2-3 hours or until cookies are completely frozen. Remove from the cookie sheet and place in a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Label with the name and date and place the bag into the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours and then roll in powdered sugar.
Why Are My Russian Tea Cakes Flat?
There are two possible reasons that your Russian tea cake cookies turned out flat instead of cute little balls. First, the dough doesn’t have the correct ratio of butter to flour. Too much butter will result in flat cookies. To remedy this, add 2-3 tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough at a time, and then bake one cookie at a time to test the ratios.
The second possible reason for flat cookies is that the cookie dough was too warm when the cookies went into the oven. Scoop the cookie dough into small dough balls and chill for an hour before baking.
Why Do My Russian Tea Cakes Fall Apart?
Baking is a science, and each ingredient plays a crucial role. More importantly, having the correct ratios of the ingredients is important. Cookies with too much butter cause flat cookies, but at the other end of the spectrum, having too much flour can cause your cookie to not flatten at all, resulting in a tough, rock-like cookie.
In addition, Russian cake cookies that have too much flour will be dry and often have difficulty staying together.
Use A Kitchen Scale
To prevent Russian teacakes from being too flat or too tough, I suggest weighing the ingredients instead of using a measuring cup. Using a kitchen scale will help give you consistent, accurate results. Like most kitchen tools, there is a spectrum of prices, but you can often find a simple scale at a reasonable price. It’s worth investing in if you plan to bake regularly.
Proper Mixing
Be sure to mix the cookie dough well. If you stop short of mixing the cookie dough before it becomes a cohesive dough ball, it will result in a crumbly mess, and fail to form smooth balls. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer helps ensure the dough mixes well.
Sourdough Russian Tea Cakes (Snowball Cookies)
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 cookie scoop about 1 tablespoon
- 1 Baking Sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 168 g unsalted butter 1 ½ cups
- 60 g powdered sugar ½ cup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g sourdough starter discard scant ½ cup
- 219 g all-purpose flour 1 ¾ cups
- ¼ tsp salt
- 120 g chopped nuts 1 cup
- 70 g powdered sugar for rolling cookies ¾ cup
Instructions
Prep
- Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Add 70 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar to a small bowl for rolling cookies in and set aside.
Mix the Dough
- Cream 168 g (1 1/2 cup) of unsalted butter and 60 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar in a large bowl using a hand mixer on low speed gradually increasing to medium speed. Mix in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 100 g (scant 1/2 cup) sourdough starter discard.
- Add 219 g (1 3/4 cups) flour and 1/4 tsp salt right over the wet ingredients. Mix the salt into the flour first before incorporating with the rest of the ingredients.
- Finely chop 120 g (1 cup) nuts and fold into the cookie dough.
Shape
- The cookie dough will be crumbly at first. Continue to mix until a cohesive dough forms. Scoop small balls using a cookie scoop and roll them into a smooth ball before placing them onto the prepared baking sheet with 1-inch spacing. The cookies will puff up a bit but spread too much, so you can fit them fairly close together.
Bake
- Bake for 21-23 minutes. The cookies will be a light golden brown. Be sure to not over bake.
- Remove the sourdough Russian tea cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack. Roll cookies in additional powdered sugar while they’re still warm and then a second time after they’re cool.
Store
- Place cookies in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between layers. Store at room temperature and best enjoyed within 5 days.
