These snowman cookies are actually Russian tea cakes that are decorated with powdered sugar and sprinkles to create the faces. The cookies are easy to make – you only need five ingredients – and they are great for holiday cookie platters.
I spent most of the weekend baking all of the holiday cookies I’ll be giving out to extended family. I usually make a batch of Russian tea cakes (sometimes they’re called snowball cookies) because they’re so easy to make, don’t require any eggs, and can be made ahead of time. They look like snow, so I thought this year I would use them to make snowman cookies.
It took a few tries, but I figured out how to assemble and decorate them. They look really cute on the cookie platters.
Cookie Ingredients
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Chopped pecans
For the decorations: I use mini chocolate chips for the eyes, orange sprinkles for the noses, and confectioners’ sugar for dusting.
Recipe Steps
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until smooth. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and flour and then add it to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in the nuts.
Roll the dough into ¾” balls. To make the snowmen, place two balls next to each other on the baking sheet. Space each snowman two inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes at 350°F. While the cookies are still warm, gently press the mini chips into the top cookie to make the eyes. Place an orange sprinkle on each to make the noses. Lightly press it into the surface of the cookie so it sticks.
Cool the cookies and then dust them with the sugar so it looks like snow. Store the cookies in an airtight container and they will keep up to a week at room temperature.
These snowman cookies are pretty delicate (especially the decorations) so be careful when moving them from the baking sheet.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Snowmen Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons contectioners' sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
For the Decorations
- mini chocolate chips for the eyes
- orange sprinkles for the noses
- confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped pecans. Roll dough into balls about 3/4 of an inch. Place two next to each other to form snowmen body. Space each snowmen about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. While cookies are still warm, take two mini chocolate chips to use as eyes for the snowmen. Push the tip of the chocolate chips gently into the pecan cookies so that the eyes stick to the cookies. Place an orange sprinkle in the middle for the nose, gently pressing into the cookie so that the sprinkle stays in place.
- Let cookies cool. After cookies have cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar, covering surface of cookies so that it resembles a thin layer of snow. You can wipe the sugar from the eyes and nose before serving.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Your perseverance proved to be rewarding! These are too cute =)
haha, thanks!