Russian tea cakes recipe: These traditional holiday cookies are super easy to make

Holiday baking season is officially upon us. If you’re looking for an easy recipe that everyone will love, look no further than these tasty Russian Tea Cakes.

Also known as Mexican, Italian or Swedish wedding cookies — or sometimes even just snowballs — these simple cookies are a cinch to make and can incorporate a variety of nuts, including macadamia, cashew, hazelnut, pecans or black walnuts. Betty Crocker suggests toasting and finely grinding the nuts before mixing them into the dough.

Similar to shortbread, these cookies are done when they’re firm to the touch, so be careful not to over-bake them. As the name indicates, these cookies are great when served alongside a cup of tea, so invite some friends over to enjoy these tasty treats as part of a proper afternoon tea.

As pointed out by Dorothy of Crazy for Crust, these cookies don’t contain any egg, so they can be a great option for someone with an egg allergy. And although the combination of butter and powdered sugar makes these cookies addictive all on their own, she suggests stuffing them with your favorite candy for a next-level spin. These Reese’s Stuffed Snowballs look divine.

Because the cookies look like snowballs, they’re a natural fit for the Christmas season. But there’s no rule that says you can’t make them throughout the year. Dorothy made these Funfetti Cake Batter Wedding Cookies for Mother’s Day, and I think they’d make for a perfect birthday party treat as well.

Because these cookies are so basic, you can really take them in any number of directions depending on your preferences or the ingredients you have on hand. Check out these 5-Ingredient Vanilla Almond Snowball Cookies from Bread Booze and Bacon. You can sub in the nut of your choice or omit them altogether — whatever works for you!

Do you have your own personal twist on these traditional cookies?