Description
Sweet winter magic happens when classic Russian tea cookies meet luscious strawberry charm. Delicate powdered sugar-coated snowball cookies melt delightfully, delivering pure comfort in each buttery, fruity bite you’ll absolutely adore.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup (230 grams / 8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (250 grams / 8.8 ounces) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 grams / 3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
Strawberry Components:
- ½ cup (60 grams / 2.1 ounces) freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed into powder
- 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed (optional, for color and extra strawberry flavor)
Seasoning and Flavor Enhancers:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating:
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams / 6.3 ounces) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the workspace by heating the oven to 350F (175C) and lining baking sheets with parchment paper for smooth cookie release.
- Create a creamy butter base by whipping softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes airy and pale, then incorporate vanilla extract for depth of flavor.
- Develop the cookie foundation by gently combining flour, pulverized freeze-dried strawberries, and salt in a separate mixing vessel, ensuring even distribution of dry ingredients.
- Merge the wet and dry mixtures, folding carefully to form a cohesive dough without overmixing, which could result in tough cookies.
- Craft uniform cookie spheres by rolling the dough between palms, creating consistent one-inch rounds that will bake evenly on the prepared sheets.
- Position cookie spheres with adequate spacing to prevent merging during the baking process, allowing room for gentle expansion.
- Bake the delicate morsels for 12-15 minutes, watching for a subtle golden hue developing underneath, which signals perfect doneness.
- Allow cookies to rest momentarily on baking sheets, helping them stabilize and prevent crumbling during transfer to cooling racks.
- Craft a delicate coating by whisking powdered sugar with optional crushed freeze-dried strawberries, creating a blush-tinted sweet envelope.
- Enrobe each cooled cookie completely in the powdered sugar mixture, ensuring thorough and elegant coverage for a professional finish.
- For enhanced flavor complexity, consider a second light dusting of the sugar mixture just before serving to intensify the strawberry essence.
- Store completed cookies in an airtight container, maintaining their delicate texture for up to one week at room temperature.
Notes
- Swap freeze-dried strawberries with ground nuts or cocoa powder for alternative flavor profiles that match different dietary preferences.
- Ensure butter is softened at room temperature but not melted to achieve the perfect cookie texture and prevent spreading during baking.
- Roll cookies gently in powdered sugar when completely cool to prevent sugar from absorbing moisture and becoming clumpy.
- Customize the sweetness by adjusting powdered sugar coating – less for a less sweet version or more for extra indulgence.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg