Keto Russian Tea Cakes: A Delightful and Guilt-Free Holiday Treat

Keto Russian Tea Cakes, also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowball Cookies, or Butterballs, are a classic holiday favorite. This recipe offers a keto-friendly twist on the traditional treat, allowing you to enjoy the festive flavors without compromising your low-carb lifestyle. These cookies are soft, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, making them perfect for Christmas gifts, holiday cookie trays, or any time you crave a sweet treat.

What are Keto Russian Tea Cakes?

These cookies go by many names: Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cakes, polvorones, and snowball cookies. Their origins are muddled throughout history. A keto version is true to the Mexican origins, where these cookies are known as polvorones, which translates to "crumbly ones."

Why Choose Keto?

Traditional Russian Tea Cakes are loaded with sugar and wheat flour, making them unsuitable for those following a ketogenic diet. This keto version swaps out the high-carb ingredients for low-carb alternatives, allowing you to indulge without the guilt.

Key Ingredients and Their Roles

• Almond Flour: Forms the base of the cookie, providing a tender and slightly nutty flavor. Use a good fine almond flour like Bob’s Red Mill.
• Sweetener: Replaces traditional sugar to keep the carb count low. Swerve or Pyure are the sweeteners of choice. But they must be powdered.
• Butter: Adds richness and contributes to the melt-in-your-mouth texture. Make sure that butter is well softened!
• Pecans or Walnuts: Lend a delightful crunch and nutty flavor. Toast the nuts before using them in this recipe because it really enhances the flavor.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile.
• Coconut Flour: Helps to bind the ingredients and create a slightly denser texture.
• Cardamom or Cinnamon: Adds a warm and aromatic spice note. Not a fan of cardamom? Try some ground cinnamon instead.
• Baking Powder: Provides a bit of lift, resulting in a lighter cookie.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the other flavors.
• Almond Milk: Only as needed if dough seems dry and does not come together.

Step-by-Step Recipe Guide

Preparing the Dough

1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, chopped walnuts, coconut flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cream Butter and Sweetener: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually beat in the almond flour mixture until the dough comes together.
5. Refrigerate: Wrap cookie dough with cling film (saran wrap) and refrigerate for at least an hour. This step is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

Shaping and Baking

1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC). Line 2 baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.
2. Shape the Cookies: Divide dough into either 24 small rounds or 12-15 if doing larger cookies. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
3. Freeze (Optional): Place baking sheet with rolled dough balls in freezer for 15 minutes (to avoid spreading).
4. Bake: Bake for 12-14 minutes for the small ones or 16-18 minutes for the larger ones, or until just lightly golden brown. The cookies will be deep golden, but very soft and fragile to touch.
5. Cool: Remove from oven and let cool on the pan. Allow to cool for 15 more minutes before adding more powdered sweetener. The cookies will become less fragile as they cool.

Coating and Finishing

1. Prepare Sweetener: Place the powdered sweetener in a small shallow bowl.
2. Coat the Cookies: While cookies are still warm, roll each cookie until completely coated in the powdered sweetener.
3. Cool Again: Place cookies on a cooling rack.
4. Double Coat (Optional): Once the cookies have cooled completely, you can roll them in powdered sweetener again for an extra layer, if desired.

Tips for the Perfect Keto Russian Tea Cakes

• Use Fine Almond Flour: A good fine almond flour like Bob’s Red Mill will result in a more tender cookie.
• Toast the Nut Flours: Toast the nut flours beforehand over medium heat until golden and fragrant (3-6 minutes). This is, in our book, the thing that makes polvorones be, well, polvorones.
• Soften Butter Properly: Be sure that the butter is softened, but not too soft. It should still be slightly cold. Another way to think about it - it should have some structure too it and not be greasy and super spreadable.
• Chill the Dough: Refrigerating the dough for at least an hour is essential for preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
• Don't Overbake: Be careful not to over-bake the cookies, as they will become dry and crumbly.
• Double Coat for Extra Sweetness: Rolling the cookies in powdered sweetener twice ensures a generous coating and a beautiful snowy appearance.
• Measure Flour Correctly: Measure your flour correctly - use the spoon and sweep method.

Variations and Customizations

• Nut Variations: Experiment with different nuts, such as pecans, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts.
• Spice Variations: Try adding a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or ginger to the dough for a different flavor profile.
• Chocolate Chips: Add sugar-free chocolate chips to the dough for a chocolatey twist.
• Extracts: Use different extracts, such as almond or maple, to customize the flavor.
• Vegan Option: For vegan snowball cookies, sub with solid ghee OR solid refined coconut oil - you want it to be the consistency of softened butter

Storage and Freezing Instructions

• Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: These Keto Snowball Cookies freeze beautifully. Simply place the keto snowball cookies in an airtight container in a single layer and store in the freezer for up to one month. To thaw, take them out of the container and spread them out so that they don’t touch each other. Thaw in the fridge overnight and dust with more powdered sugar, if desired.

Serving Suggestions

• Holiday Cookie Platters: Keto Russian Tea Cakes are a must-have addition to any holiday cookie platter.
• Gifts: Package them in festive tins or bags for a thoughtful and delicious gift.
• Dessert: Serve them as a simple and satisfying dessert with a cup of coffee or tea.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: Makes 32. Gluten Free & Keto Mexican Wedding Cakes.

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie):

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

• Calories: 120 kcal
• Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 3g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 3g

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

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tags: #keto #russian #tea #cakes #recipe