Russian Tea Cake Snowball (Printable Version)

Tender snowball cookies with orange zest and pecans deliver a sweet, nostalgic bite with a refreshing citrus flair.

# The Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 200 g all-purpose flour
02 - 100 g cold unsalted butter
03 - 50 g granulated sugar
04 - 50 g finely chopped pecans or walnuts
05 - Zest of half an orange

→ Coating

06 - Powdered sugar, for coating

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - In a bowl, blend together flour, sugar, chopped nuts, and orange zest. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture becomes crumbly.
02 - Using your hands, shape the dough into 24 small, evenly-sized balls.
03 - Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Arrange the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for approximately 15 minutes until pale but set.
04 - Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Roll each cookie in powdered sugar twice to ensure a thick coating.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Uses basic ingredients you likely already have at home
  • Ready in just about thirty minutes
  • Classic with a citrus twist to wake up your taste buds
  • Perfect for gifting or bringing to gatherings
02 -
  • High in buttery richness and natural citrus flavor
  • Simple technique with bakery-worthy results
  • Can be made ahead for parties or holiday gifts
03 -
  • Work quickly with cold butter and chill your dough if your kitchen is warm for the tenderest cookies
  • Double coat in powdered sugar first while piping hot then after ten minutes for the prettiest snowy effect
  • Always zest citrus right over your bowl so every aromatic oil lands in the dough not on the cutting board
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