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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Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 cookie scoop about 1 tablespoon
- 1 Baking Sheet
- parchment paper
- kitchen scale
- measuring spoons and cups
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 not 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.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Calories: 126.8kcalCarbohydrates: 10.2gProtein: 1.8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 25.4mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.6gSugar: 2.6gVitamin A: 175.9IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.6mg
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