Russian Tea Cakes (Snowball Cookies)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (for coating)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. 2In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and the 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Beat them together with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
3. 3Add the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. 4In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 1 cup of all-purpose flour and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt until they are well combined.
5. 5Gradually add the flour and salt mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough just comes together and no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
6. 6Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take small portions of the dough, about 1 tablespoon each, and roll them between your palms to form smooth balls, approximately 1 inch in diameter. Place the shaped dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie.
7. 7Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly golden and the cookies feel firm to the touch. They should not be deeply browned.
8. 8Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. While they are still warm, gently roll each cookie in the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (for coating) until it is fully covered.
9. 9Transfer the coated cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Once fully cooled, you may roll them in the remaining powdered sugar again for an extra thick coating, if desired, before serving with a cup of tea.

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