Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies—also known as Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies—are rich, tender treats made with just five simple ingredients. Their signature melt-in-your-mouth texture comes from combining creamy softened butter, powdered sugar, and finely chopped pecans into a quick, easy-to-whip-up dough.

To make them, blend two sticks of softened butter, a half-cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and flour until a smooth dough forms, then fold in the pecans. Roll the dough into 36 even balls, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12 minutes.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll each one in the remaining cup of powdered sugar to give them their iconic snowball coating. For creative twists, try adding ground cinnamon to the dough, swapping part of the butter for honey, or dipping half of each finished cookie into melted white chocolate.

These budget-friendly, make-ahead cookies yield 36 servings at roughly 101 calories each. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze the baked cookies for a convenient, holiday-ready treat anytime.