pecan shortbread crescents (snowballs and slice & bake, too)

Pecan sandies, snowballs, Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, crescent cookies… No matter what you call them, they are delicious and NOT boring. These are easily one of the most eatable things I’ve ever made. And as a bonus, there are so many ways to prepare these cookies.

My mom asked me to make these because she remembered her grandma making them, but I have to admit that I thought they would be boring. Well, I made them, and they ended up being delicious and addicting. I ate way too many. That’s how you know it’s a good cookie. When you just keep going for another.

These are essentially a tender, nutty shortbread cookie with no egg. It’s my understanding that you could use any nuts, but the classic is pecans. I definitely want to try these with different nuts. Almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios are top of the list. The warm cookie is rolled in powdered sugar which melts, creating a soft sweetness around the cookie. A second roll in powdered sugar after they’ve cooled gives them the powdered sugar donut look.

There are many ways to shape this dough, some more finicky than others.

The snowball shape is simple and classic. Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls and roll between your hands to smooth them. After coating them in powdered sugar after baking, they look like little snowballs. Since shaping this one is so simple and quick, it is ideal for the holidays when you’re making lots of different cookies in bulk. However, it is not my favorite to eat because it is a pretty thick bite. Because it’s thicker, this shape can be the softest on the inside. I prefer a crunchier cookie, but if you prefer softer, this may be the shape for you.

The crescent is also a classic shape and so much fun to make, although more time consuming than the previous, snowballs. I like to use the same cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls, and then create a thick snake by rolling with my hands. Finish the shape by curving slightly or a lot, it’s up to you. This shape is a thinner amount of dough since it’s stretched out, so it can be baked more crunchy more easily, if that’s what you prefer. If you prefer a soft cookie, it will just take less time to bake than the snowball shape. This shape is a bit more delicate, so keep that in mind if you’re using it for cookie boxes.

Turning this cookie into a slice and bake is nothing short of genius, if I do say so myself. I love the simplicity and quickness of a slice and bake cookie, especially around the holidays when you need to have cookies available. I love that you can control the thickness of the cookie according to your preference by how thickly you cut the slices. It’s quick, easy, and very sturdy for cookie boxes.

ingredients in russian tea cakes cookies

• butter–  I always use unsalted butter in my recipes so I can accurately tell you how much salt to add, but the truth is that when I’m just baking personally, I often use salted butter and nothing is ever too salty. Use what you have, but make sure that it has come to room temperature, about 66-70 degrees. Butter straight out of the fridge will not cream as well, which will either require too much creaming (creating too aerated of a mixture) or the final dough will have little pebbles of butter that will melt in the oven, causing uneven cookies. Make sure the butter hasn’t softened too much and become melty or squishy. See the “success tips” section for more help about butter temperature.
• powdered sugar– Using powdered sugar instead of granulated gives these cookies a more tender texture.
• salt– Diamond Crystal kosher salt is the best for baking, so I recommend grabbing a box if you can. It will last you for a long time if you just use it for baking! If you don’t have this type of salt, swap for regular table salt and use half the amount called for.
• vanilla– Vanilla is essential for flavor in this recipe, and I recommend using vanilla bean paste instead of extract if you can. I love to use vanilla bean paste because the flavor is more intense, but vanilla extract is great as well. I love The Spice House, Heilala, and Nielsen-Massey. (Make sure to check your local Costco store for big jars of Nielsen-Massey at an amazing price!)
• pecans– Pecans are the nuts in this recipe. I love to shop at nuts.com for my nuts. You’ll want raw pecans which we’ll toast and chop.
• all purpose flour-  Flour provides the structure for this cookie, and this recipe has the perfect amount for the dough to both hold its shape, yet not be too floury and hard.

*You can use my code EMILYLOGGANS at The Spice House for 10% off your purchase. I love to get my vanilla, spices, and salt there!

supplies needed to make russian tea cakes cookies

• hand mixer or stand mixer– A stand mixer makes this process so incredibly easy, but a hand mixer works just fine, especially if you’re just making a single batch.
• spatula– A spatula is essential to scrape down the bowl throughout the process. Without scraping, you’ll end up with an unevenly mixed dough and cookies that are inconsistent. 
• scale– If there’s one thing I can convince you of, please let it be a kitchen scale. 🙏🏻Using a scale makes everything easier with baking, and it ensures you get the same results every time. Flour is so easy to over-add with volume measurements, and a scale solves that problem.
• parchment paper– I always roll my dough between two sheets of pre-cut parchment paper, which is by far the best way to roll out dough.
• baking sheets– I use these cookie sheets for years, and they are amazing.

how to make russian tea cakes cookies

The dough does not (and honestly should not) come together in a smooth ball. Part of the tenderness of the dough comes from not overworking it. It should look pebbly but not dry with flour bits.

Use a #40 cookie scoop (1 ½ Tbsp) to portion the dough into balls. This recipe makes about two dozen balls. Either keep them as balls and smooth them between your hands or roll into little logs and shape into crescents.

Before baking and after baking the crescents.

Dip in powdered sugar while still warm and once again after they’re cooled.

Before and after baking the balls. (Be careful not to accidentally roll them in powdered sugar before baking, which I’ve definitely done before.)

Roll the balls in powdered sugar while still warm and once again after they’re cooled. Trust me on the double roll.

Dip the slice and bake cookies the exact same way.

success tips for making russian tea cakes cookies

• Why was my dough crumbly and dry? Did you weigh your flour? It is very easy to accidentally add too much flour when measuring with cups. Too much flour will make a dry, crumbly dough. Did you add enough sugar? Do you have the right amount of butter? Keep in mind that this recipe is a more dry-like dough. If it is still floury or powdery in places, just continue mixing until the flour is moistened. Sometimes all that is needed is a spatula to finish combining everything.
• Can I use table salt instead of Diamond Crystal kosher salt? Absolutely! Just use half the amount called for since the flakes of diamond crystal are larger, which accounts for less volume in the measuring spoon. I do recommend purchasing a box of diamond crystal, especially if you’re a baker or like to cook. It’s truly the best and recommended by chefs.
• Is Morton kosher salt the same as Diamond Crystal kosher salt? No, and I don’t recommend you use Morton kosher salt in baking.
• Does my butter need to be room temperature or softened? Room temperature, maybe even almost softened is ideal for this recipe. Cold butter will not mix properly, and do not use melted butter.
• What should I do if my butter is cold from the fridge? If your butter is cold right out of the fridge, but you want to bake right now, there are a few options. 1)Microwave the butter as whole sticks on defrost mode for a few seconds at a time until it becomes pliable. 2) Chop the butter into small pieces and set off to the side until you can indent the butter with your finger. 
• Why do my cookies have a shiny, see-through-like patch on the bottoms? That is the sign of an underdone (raw) cookie. It needs to bake more. Before pulling cookies out of the oven, check to make sure the tops are evenly “dull” and not shiny. I like the bottoms of these to be a bit golden.
• Do I really need a kitchen scale? Kinda, yeah? 🙃 They’re not very expensive, but it is a life changing kitchen investment. Here’s the one I use.
• Can I bake my cookies on silicone mats instead of parchment? You can! However, I still prefer to bake with parchment. It’s my preference, but your preference could be to use silicone mats. Just experiment and go with what you prefer based on experience and results. 🫶🏻
• Can I decorate these cookies with royal icing or buttercream? I haven’t tried, but you could if you wanted to. Here is my royal icing recipe.

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