Chai Spiced Snowdrop Cookies Recipe
Dec 07, 2016, Updated Nov 29, 2023
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Enjoy these delicious Chai Spiced Snowdrop Cookies, which melt in your mouth with their perfect blend of sweetness and warm spices. They also make a fantastic addition to your holiday treat selection!
Snowdrop Cookies are also known as Russian Tea Cakes, Italian Wedding Cookies, Snowball Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and finally, in my neck of the woods, they’re called Vanilici (vah-nee-lee-tsee). I hope I didn’t miss anyone.
Thus, let’s embrace the festive spirit with today’s Chai Spiced Snowdrop Cookies. These delicate cookies, with their flaky, crumbly texture and nutty undertones, are rolled in spiced powdered sugar, making them totally irresistible. Infused with the warmth of cardamom, ginger, and allspice, they’re a sophisticated twist on the classic snowdrop, and they are absolutely perfect for the holidays.
Why You Should Make These Cookies
- Texture: These cookies offer a delightful crumble that dissolves in your mouth, akin to a nuttier, more decadent shortbread.
- Festive and Pretty: Their snow-like dusting makes them a visually appealing addition to any holiday table.
- Delicious: Easy to make with tasty results, these cookies will surely be a hit with family and guests.
Ingredients for Snowdrop Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour
- Kosher Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and contributes to the cookie’s tender crumb.
- Powdered Sugar: For sweetness and the signature snowy coating.
- Vanilla Extract: Gives a sweet, aromatic flavor.
- Almond Flour: Adds a nutty taste and tender texture.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Allspice: These spices create a warm, chai-inspired flavor in the topping.
How To Make Snowdrop Cookies
This is a serious melt-in-your-mouth little cookie. The cookie itself has only 5 ingredients, and the chai-spiced topping is what completes it. A simple mixture of powdered sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and allspice is what separates this snowdrop cookie from the rest.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk & Mix: Whisk flour and salt in a small bowl; set aside. In a mixer, cream butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
- Combine: Gradually mix in almond flour, then the flour-salt mixture.
- Roll, Chill, & Bake: Scoop dough (1 tablespoon per cookie), roll it into balls, and place the dough balls on a baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Then, bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sugar Coating: Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and spices in a bowl.
- Coat: While warm, coat the cookies in the spiced sugar mixture, then let them cool. Re-coat the cooled cookies in the sugar mix. Serve.
Recipe Tips
- Nuts: For a twist, try adding finely chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the dough.
- Sugar Coating: Ensure cookies are warm when first coating with sugar; it helps the mixture adhere.
- Double Coating with Sugar: For an extra snowy look, roll the cookies in powdered sugar a second time after they have completely cooled. The first coating tends to melt into the warm cookie, so a second coating ensures a thick, snow-like layer.
- Spices: Experiment with different spice blends to suit your taste.
- Uniform Size: Use a cookie scoop to ensure that all your cookies are the same size. This not only makes them look more appealing but also ensures they bake evenly.
- Serving Suggestion: These cookies pair beautifully with hot London Fog Tea or Cortado Coffee, making them a perfect choice for a winter afternoon snack or a holiday gathering.
Storage
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze them for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Chai Spiced Snowdrop Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter,, at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups almond flour
For the Powdered Sugar Coating
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325˚F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, the 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the mixer speed down to low and slowly add the almond flour followed by the all-purpose flour mixture.
- Scrape down the sides once or twice to make sure the dough is evenly combined.
- Use a 1 tablespoon-sized scoop to measure out the cookies.
- Using your hands, roll each cookie into a ball, and place on the previously prepared baking sheet.
- Chill the cookies for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Remove from refrigerator and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, combine the 1 cup powdered sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and allspice in a small mixing bowl; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
- Remove the cookies from the oven.
- While they are still warm, carefully coat each cookie in the topping mixture and set aside to cool.
- Once the cookies have cooled, about 15 to 20 minutes, toss them again in the sugar mixture.
- Store in an airtight container for 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter is at room temperature for easier creaming. This helps create the right texture in your cookies.
- Storage Tip: If you find the powdered sugar dissolving into the cookies over time, simply give them a fresh dusting before serving.
- Inspired By: I am most excited about serving these gorgeous Snowdrop Cookies that I found in this cookbook, The Gourmet Kitchen, written by my gal pal from Savory Simple.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I have to disagree with you on something. These aren’t also known as Russian Tea Cookies or Italian Wedding cookies or Snowball cookies. While it may not be a vast difference, there is a difference in the recipe of these cookies. There is additional flavors in this cookie which don’t exist in the Russian Tea Cookies. I’ve been making the “Italian Wedding Cookie” or its various other identities for over 40 years and not once have I ever added cardamom spice. To be truthful , at least where I live, we never heard of cardamom spice in the 60s or 70s or even the 80s. It wasn’t until some point in the 21st century it began to make an appearance. Simply because cookies look like one another doesn’t mean they ARE the same cookie. The Russian Tea Cookie is THE favorite of my little sister and I’ve lots of them. In fact, it was one of the first cookies I helped her learn to bake. Years later they’re still her favorite and I was just getting ready to send her an email showing her this cookie with the cardamom and checking to see when she would be available to come to the house and we’ll bake them, checking them out. So while these Chai Spice Snowball Cookies look identical, they’re not the same cookie.
THANKS SO MUCH for chiming in! I have always thought they were all very similar, if not identical, but glad to have found out otherwise. If you do not mind and have a minute, would you share your recipe for Russian Tea Cookies with me, please? ๐ Have a great Sunday!!
Just because you had no idea what cardamom was until recently doesnโt mean it isnโt a spice thatโs been used for millennia in areas of the world you canโt even point out on a mapโฆ
So delicious just fell in love with it.I really liked it as a late night snack!! ๐ ๐
I made a few more variations which you can see in my blog.
Happy Name Day! Love the cookies! I bet they would go fast around here! How did the dinner party go?
Great looking cookies for the holidays.