Description
Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth classic cookies with a festive twist of colorful mini M&Ms. Also known as Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies, these soft, crumbly bite-sized treats are coated in powdered sugar for a perfect snowy finish ideal for gifting or holiday snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups (279 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup mini M&Ms
- Additional powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture on low speed until dough forms.
- Fold in mini M&Ms evenly. If dough feels sticky, chill for 15–20 minutes.
- Roll 1-tablespoon portions into balls. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
- Bake 9–11 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden but tops remain pale. Cool 2–3 minutes on sheets.
- While warm, roll each cookie in powdered sugar. Cool completely, then roll again for full snowy coating.
- Serve on a festive platter or store in tins for gifting.
Notes
Softened (not melted) butter makes the best texture.
Lightly measure flour and sugar to avoid dense cookies.
Cool cookies briefly before rolling in sugar for better coating adherence.
Keep cookies small to maintain shape during baking.
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / Holiday
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: christmas snowball cookies, russian tea cakes, holiday butter cookies, m&m snowballs, powdered sugar cookies