Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (2024)

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Last Updated: | First Published on: by Hari Chandana Ponnaluri

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Snowball Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes Recipe – Rich, buttery, delicate and delicious shortbread cookies that melt in your mouth. It is a traditional Christmas cookie recipe and perfect for the holidays!

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (1)

What are Snowball Cookies?

Snowball Cookies are one of the traditional and popular Christmas cookies. They are tiny shortbread cookie balls rolled in powdered sugar when they are still warm. The cookies are so rich, addictive and they just melt in your mouth. Snowballs are also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes.

Ingredients for Snowball Cookies

You just need 6 simple ingredients to make these classic cookies at home.

All-Purpose Flour

Corn Flour or Corn Starch

Unsalted Butter

Powdered Sugar

Vanilla Essence

Salt

Italian Wedding Cookies Variations:

These simple little Mexican Wedding Cookies are so versatile and can also be made with almonds, pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips, lemon or pistachios.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (2)

How long can you store the unbaked cookie dough?

You can store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze it for about 2 months.

How long can you store Russian Tea Cakes or Cookies?

They can stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Can you freeze Mexican Wedding Cookies?

Yes, they freeze extremely well. Once the cookies are baked and rolled in powdered sugar, arrange them in an airtight container and separate the layers with parchment papers. You can freeze them for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temperature and roll them in some powdered sugar again before serving.

Why did my Russian Tea Cakes flatten?

The traditional Russian Tea Cakes should be round in shape. Make sure the oven is preheated well and the dough is chilled before baking.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (3)

Tips to Make the Best Snowball Cookies:

  • Follow the exact measurements to make them perfect.
  • Make sure the dough is firm and chilled when you bake.
  • Shape the dough into 1-inch size balls to bake them evenly.
  • Be careful not to overbake the cookies. They are done when the edges of the cookies just start to brown and the bottoms are very lightly browned.
  • You will need to roll the baked cookies in powdered sugar when they are still warm.
  • Once they are cool, roll them again in powdered sugar if needed.
  • If you want to make super white snowball cookies, roll them twice in powdered sugar.

Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe with Step by Step Photos:

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (4)

  • Combine the flours and salt in a bowl and keep it aside.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (5)

  • In a mixing bowl. add unsalted butter and powdered sugar. Beat until it is creamy and smooth.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (6)

  • Add vanilla essence.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (7)

  • Mix until well combined.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (8)

  • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well with a spatula until incorporated.
  • Lightly knead the mixture to make a soft dough.
  • Wrap the dough with a cling film and refrigerate for an hour or until it becomes firm.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (9)

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (10)

  • Roll the dough into 1 inch small balls and place them on the lined baking tray.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (11)

  • Bake them immediately in the preheated oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown at 180 degrees C.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (12)

  • Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 3 – 5 minutes.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (13)

  • While cookies are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar.

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (14)

  • Arrange them on a wire rack and let them cool completely.
  • Roll them twice in powdered sugar if needed. Store in an airtight container.

More Christmas Recipes on the blog:

  • Eggless Fruitcake Cookies
  • Eggless Cherry Almond Cake
  • Nutella Sandwich Cookies
  • Vegan Avocado Brownies
  • Chocolate Chip Crescent Cookies
  • Orange Tutti Frutti Cake
  • Wheat Oat Almond Cookies
  • Eggless Dates Cake
  • Condensed Milk Cashew Cookies
  • Goan Kulkuls

Recipe Reference: Joy of Baking

How to Make Snowball Cookies Recipe Video below:

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (15)

Snowball Cookies Recipe or Russian Tea Cakes Recipe

Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (16)Hari Chandana Ponnaluri

Rich, buttery, delicate and tasty traditional Christmas cookies recipe

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine European, International

Servings 60 cookies

Calories 49 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cup All-purpose flour
  • ½ cup Corn Flour / Corn Starch
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter at room temperature
  • ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Essence (or 1 tsp Vanilla Extract)
  • ¼ tsp Salt

For Topping

  • ½ cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together the cornflour, all purpose flour and salt. Keep it aside.

  • In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth.

  • Add the vanilla essence and combine it well.

  • Then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well until incorporated.

  • Lightly knead to make a soft dough. Wrap it with cling film

  • Refrigerate the dough for an hour or until it becomes firm.

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

  • Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator.

  • Roll the dough into 1 inch small balls and place them on a greased or lined baking tray.

  • Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown at 180 degrees C.

  • Remove from the oven and cool for about 3 – 5 minutes.

  • While cookies are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar.

  • Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

  • Roll them twice in powdered sugar if needed. Store in an airtight container.

  • If you want, sprinkle the top of the cookies with more powdered sugar before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 49kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 10mgPotassium: 4mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 95IUCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition values are estimates only.

Tried this recipe?Mention @iamharichandana or tag #blendwithspices!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (17)Allie says

    I rolled mine in cinnamon sugar before they baked, they were amazing!

    Reply

  2. Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (18)Leesa says

    1/2 cup of corn starch?? Oven 180 degrees?? Those two don’t sound right. Is that correct? I would like to make these

    Reply

    • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (19)Hari Chandana Ponnaluri says

      Yeah, this is a tried and tested recipe like all my recipes on the blog. It should work. please give it a try.

      Reply

      • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (20)Jill says

        Can you use lemon extract instead of vanilla?
        Thank you

        Reply

        • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (21)Hari Chandana Ponnaluri says

          Absolutely! You can also add a tablespoon of lemon juice and some lemon zest for the flavor. 🙂

          Reply

    • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (22)Laia says

      180 Celsius
      350 F

      Reply

    • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (23)Katt says

      180 C is same as 350 F

      Reply

    • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (24)Marsha says

      Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (25)
      180 C equals 356 F. I set my oven to 350 degrees.

      Reply

      • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (26)Hari Chandana Ponnaluri says

        Thanks for your response.

        Reply

  3. Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (27)JoAnn says

    Can you use margarine instead of butter?

    Reply

    • Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (28)Hari Chandana Ponnaluri says

      Yes, you can!

      Reply

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Classic Snowball Cookies Recipe - The BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies (2024)

FAQs

Why are my snowball cookies falling apart after baking? ›

There was probably too much flour added or they were over-baked. Add another tablespoon of butter or a tablespoon of milk. If they are falling apart a few days later, then they were sitting out too long. Keep them in an airtight container to help them last longer.

Why are my Mexican wedding cookies crumbly? ›

If the butter is too cold, it won't be soft enough to bind the sugar, flour and nuts, making it crumbly and difficult to work with. Too warm and the dough might be greasy and difficult to roll into balls. Soften the butter to just cooler than room temperature and the dough should be perfect.

Why did my Mexican wedding cookies come out flat? ›

The blogger behind Mexico In My Kitchen warns that overworking the dough will result in flat cookies, so make sure you only roll your dough as much as you need to form tiny spheres and only mix the ingredients until they're combined (don't endlessly beat it with your mixer).

Why is my snowball cookie dough crumbly? ›

Try using a different type of flour, or sifting your flour before you add it to the wet ingredients. If your cookie dough is too dry and crumbly, it might not have enough fat. This is a common problem with recipes that use all-purpose flour. To fix this, you can add more fat to the dough.

How to keep cookies from falling apart? ›

How to Keep Cookies on a Baking Sheet from Crumbling and Sticking
  1. Follow Your Recipe. Cookie and bar recipes are generally more forgiving than cakes, but all baking is based on chemistry. ...
  2. Grease Your Pan. Jason Donnelly. ...
  3. Line Your Pan or Cookie Sheet. ...
  4. Give Your Cookies Time to Cool. ...
  5. Cut the Bars and Remove Cookies from Sheet.
Oct 31, 2022

Why are my cookies flat and falling apart? ›

If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

Why are my snowball cookies spreading? ›

If you found your cookies to spread too much in the oven, there are a host of things that can cause this. Your butter could be too warm. You may have improperly measured the flour or the sugar (use that scoop and level method!). You could have placed the dough balls on a sheet pan that was warm.

How do you keep wedding cookies from spreading? ›

Cookies spread because the fat in the cookie dough melts in the oven. If there isn't enough flour to hold that melted fat, the cookies will over-spread. Spoon and level that flour or, better yet, weigh your flour. If your cookies are still spreading, add an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough.

What is the difference between Mexican and Italian wedding cookies? ›

Italian wedding cookies typically contain almonds or hazelnuts and are flavored with almond extract, vanilla extracts and spices like cinnamon or anise. Mexican wedding cookies, on the other hand, use a combination of ground nuts such as pecans and walnuts, as well as butter, sugar and sometimes chocolate chips.

How do you make cookies fluffy instead of flat? ›

Adjust leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are responsible for the rise and structure of cookies. If your cookies are too flat, try slightly increasing these leavening agents. Conversely, if your cookies are overly puffy and then collapse into flatness, it could be due to using too much leavening agent.

Will old baking soda make cookies flat? ›

Yes, baking powder and baking soda can expire! Once they've been opened, it's best to use them within six months, so make sure to check expiration dates before you start baking. Expired leavening agents lose their effectiveness, leading to flat cookies.

What is the origin of snowball cookies? ›

The origin for pecan snowball cookies is unknown. Beloved in many parts of the world, these cookies may have traveled to the U.S. by way of immigrants from Eastern Europe or Mexico. Since the 20th century, they've become part of traditional American offerings for weddings and holidays, including Christmas and Easter.

Can I add an extra egg to cookie dough? ›

Because egg yolks contain lecithin and fat, they enrich the flavor and texture of chocolate chip cookies. If you prefer your cookies chewy rather than crispy, adding extra yolks will create a softer and more tender final product, and you can even save the extra whites for another dessert or dish.

What happens if too much butter is in cookies? ›

Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.

Can you overmix cookie dough? ›

Unless you want extra-crispy cookies, avoid overmixing your dough. "Overmixing your dough will result in flatter, crispier cookies," Cowan said. If you overmix, you will end up aerating (adding air to) the dough, which causes the cookies to rise and then fall, leaving you with flat cookies.

How to keep oatmeal cookies from falling apart? ›

How do you keep oatmeal cookies from crumbling? You need to let them rest a bit on the pan before transfering them too a cooling rack. Watch your ratios as too much flour or oats will make them dry and crumbly, experiment and find thay perfect balance. You can also add some rehydrated raisins.

Why did my cookies rise and then fall? ›

Dough that's too airy.

The goal, usually, is to only incorporate the two ingredients without reaching the "light and fluffy" stage. When you mix the butter and sugar together at high speed or for too long, you'll aerate the dough excessively, causing the cookies to rise—and then fall—in the oven.

Why are my cookies splitting? ›

The cracks in crinkle cookies or molasses cookies occur when the top of the cookie dries out before the interior has set. The means that as the cookie expands, it starts to crack the dry surface.

Why are my sugar cookies breaking? ›

Roll it too thin, and the dough will be really fragile and may easily tear or break. Roll it too thick, and you run the risk of the cookies not baking evenly or cooking all the way through. → Follow this tip: For super soft, tender sugar cookies, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thick.

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