It really isn’t Christmas if this specific cookie isn’t on the table. For as long as I can remember my mom and I have made Swedish Snowball Cookies (aka: Russian Tea Cakes) (aka: Mexican Wedding Cakes) together. Yes, this cookie has that many names and to be honest, there are probably more! I called my mom to get her Betty Crocker version of this recipe because (in typical mom fashion) she has altered the recipe, well… let’s be real here, she has altered almost every recipe you can think of. I NEEDED her version of this classic cookie! So here you go! Enjoy the sweet powdered sugar, melt-in-your-mouth, first to get devoured, delicious cookie of my childhood.
**Bonus, I typed the directions nearly word-for-word straight from the pro herself, my mom.
Ingredients
- 1 cup room temp butter (or put in microwave until not fully melted)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar (rather than 1/2 cup that the Betty Crocker cookbook calls for)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla (or do half vanilla & half almond extract to make it more Scandinavian – optional)
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Instructions
Mix above ingredients well (we use a kitchen aid or handheld mixer)
Roll into 1 inch balls
Bake 10-12 mins at 375 degrees (this helps it cook all the way through) check after 8 mins because you only want the cookies lightly browned. Oven temps vary!
Let cool on a cookie rack for 5 mins, then roll in powdered sugar. You want the cookies to still be slightly warm so the powdered sugar sticks better on the first roll.
Once cooled more, roll in powdered sugar for a second time. These cookies actually taste better a few days later (which is impressive) and they freeze really well!
Enjoy! And pro-tip, whatever you do – don’t inhale the powdered sugar.
Happy Holidays from my family to yours!
The Salty Exchange 