Russian tea truffles are wealthy and buttery shortbread cookies stuffed with crunchy pecans, rolled in powdered sugar to appear like frosty snowballs. Each chunk melts away in your mouth!
When you love the mushy, dissolving texture of those traditional Christmas cookies, take a look at my Southern tea cakes, too.
Why You’ll Love This Russian Tea Muffins Recipe
With the vacations arising, these Russian tea truffles are about to develop into a surefire favourite cookie recipe! Dense and cake-like within the heart, crisp and golden on the surface, studded with pecans, and coated in powdered sugar, each chunk of those shortbread cookies tastes like magic. Right here’s why you’ll love them:
Traditional vacation cookies. Russian tea truffles are a few of the best vacation cookies you may make. Lined in powdered sugar “snow”, they give the impression of being so fairly on a Christmas cookie platter!
Wealthy and buttery. Powdered sugar and a great quantity of butter within the dough make the feel of Russian tea truffles much like meltaway cookies. The cookies dissolve in your mouth, forsaking satisfying sweetness and pecan nut crunch.
Simple to make. Russian tea truffles use easy elements and the dough requires just one bowl, with none fancy mixing or chilling. The baked cookies keep recent for days, in order that they’re fantastic to make forward.
What Are Russian Tea Muffins?
Russian tea truffles are well-traveled cookies. Relying on the place you’re on this planet, you would possibly know these as snowball cookies, Mexican wedding ceremony cookies, butterballs, or kourabiedes (Greek butter cookies). Tea truffles are a traditional cookie recipe made out of candy shortbread-style cookie dough, normally stuffed with nuts for crunch and taste. The dough is rolled into balls, baked till golden, and coated in powdered sugar. They pair completely with a heat cup of tea!
Elements You’ll Want
You want solely 6 simple elements to make these simple Russian tea truffles, so every one is essential. Discover some fast notes under, and keep in mind to scroll to the recipe card for the complete elements listing and recipe particulars.
Butter – Delivered to room temperature.
Powdered Sugar – Additionally referred to as confectioner’s sugar. You’ll want it for the cookie dough and coating the cookies after they’re baked.
Salt
Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract has the perfect taste.
Flour
Nuts – Chopped pecans or walnuts. You’ll be able to substitute the nuts with chocolate chips to make these cookies nut-free.
Learn how to Make Russian Tea Muffins
Russian tea truffles are really easy to make, it’s no surprise they’re a traditional Christmas cookie. There’s zero chilling time and the dough comes collectively in a short time:
Make the cookie dough. Cream softened butter with one cup of powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Slowly combine within the flour, and at last, fold within the chopped nuts.
Form the cookies. Scoop and roll the cookie dough into small, even-sized balls, and organize the balls on a lined baking sheet.
Bake. Bake the tea truffles at 375ºF for 10-12 minutes, till they’re calmly browned and set within the facilities.
Roll in powdered sugar. Whereas the cookies are nonetheless heat (however not scorching from the oven), roll every cookie fastidiously within the remaining powdered sugar. Place the completed cookies onto a wire rack to chill fully.
Recipe Suggestions and Variations
These simple snowball cookies have you ever coated for all of your festive events, all season lengthy. Listed below are some last ideas for tea cake success:
Use powdered sugar, and never granulated white sugar within the cookie dough. Granulated sugar will trigger the cookies to lose their snowball form.
The cookies must be heat while you roll them in sugar. After the cookies go away the oven, give them a few minutes to chill on the baking sheet earlier than you coat them in sugar. The heat of the cookie will soften the powdered sugar barely, for a easy, creamy coating. If the cookies are cooled fully, the sugar coating gained’t stick.
Strive the double roll. For an additional snowy end, roll the cookies in powdered sugar as soon as whereas they’re heat as directed, and a second time after they’ve cooled additional.
Don’t overbake. Control these tea truffles and take them out of the oven once they’re simply set, and calmly browned on the underside. Overbaked tea truffles will likely be dry and crumbly.
Toast the nuts. In case you have time, toast the pecans or walnuts in a skillet earlier than including them to the cookies for extra depth of taste.
Extra add-ins. Strive including crushed peppermint, chopped dried cranberries (like my orange cranberry meltaway cookies), cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice.
Add sprinkles. Roll the nice and cozy cookies in coloured sprinkles for much more festive aptitude.
Why Did My Snowball Cookies Flip Out Flat?
In case your cookies unfold within the oven, it could possibly be that the butter you used to make the dough was too heat. “Room temperature” means softened, however nonetheless cool to the contact. In case your cookie dough is simply too mushy and greasy, pop it into the fridge to sit back for 20-Half-hour earlier than baking.
Another excuse that Russian tea truffles end up flat is as a result of the oven temperature is simply too low, and the cookies bake too slowly because of this. An oven thermometer is useful to know that your oven is operating on the proper temperature.
Learn how to Retailer Russian Tea Cookies
To Retailer. Hold these Russian tea truffles hermetic at room temperature for as much as 7 days.
Freeze. Retailer the baked cookies in an hermetic container or freezer bag and preserve them frozen for as much as 2 months. Defrost the cookies at room temperature. Take pleasure in!
Russian tea truffles (or snowball cookies, amongst different names) are wealthy and buttery vacation cookies coated in powdered sugar. Add walnuts, pecans, or mini chocolate chips!
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all objective flour
3/4 cups finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put aside.
Within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine collectively the butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla till easy, scraping the edges of the bowl as crucial.
Flip the mixer to low and add within the flour mixing till the combination holds collectively. Stir within the nuts.
Utilizing a small (1- tablespoon) cookie scoop portion out the dough and roll into 1- inch balls.
Place the balls onto the ready baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes till fully set and calmly browned on the underside.
Permit the cookies to chill on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, till they’re cool sufficient to deal with, however nonetheless heat.
Place the remaining cup of powdered sugar right into a bowl and roll every heat cookie within the powered sugar to coat. Switch to a wire rack to chill fully.
Notes
Retailer hermetic for as much as 7 days.
Substitute mini chocolate chips as an alternative of nuts if most popular.