Persian tea cookies resemble snowball cookies seen around the Christmas holidays, also known as Russian Tea Cakes and Mexican Wedding Cookies.  Sometimes they are loaded with walnuts, other times pecans or almonds.  Whatever you call them and whichever nuts you choose, I love these cookies for their buttery, powdery yumminess.  

It’s time to make a Persian version of one of my all-time favorite cookies – roll them, shape them, flatten them into sweet oval shapes, and best of all, enjoy them any time of year!

This recipe makes a small batch – only about one dozen small cookies.  I use whole wheat pastry flour for a slightly healthier version.  If you’re a regular OvenHugger you know that I normally cut down the sugar and added fat in traditional recipes.  We’re keeping the butter and sugar intact for this recipe this time.  In fact, I even increase the butter ratio so that the cookie is less crumbly and easier to mold and shape.  I find one cookie to be filling and satisfying so portion control is a snap.

Once you have room-temperature butter, these cookies are easy to put together in very little time and effort.  

Using a plastic spoon or plastic scraper, cream together room temperature butter with sugar and vanilla.

Finely chop your favorite nuts or use a food processor (Cuisinart) for a fine grind.

Stir the ground nuts into the butter/sugar mixture –

Lastly, stir in whole wheat pastry flour until well combined.  Use your hands once it becomes crumbly if necessary.

Using your hands, shape into ovals and flatten the cookies down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  You can further mold them into egg-shapes by making one side come to a little bit of a point like an egg.  These cookies don’t spread much and can be placed close together on the sheet.

Bake in a 400-degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Coat with powdered sugar while still slightly warm.  Use a colander to sift extra powdered sugar over cookies until white in color.

How cute would a plate of these cookies look piled up amongst some pastel-colored Easter egg candies?

Pin for later!

If you like these cookies, you will love Gluten-free Naan Berenji Persian Rice Flour Cookies!

Yield: 12

Persian Tea Cookies

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Persian tea cookies resemble snowball cookies seen around the Christmas holidays, also known as Russian Tea Cakes and Mexican Wedding Cookies.  Sometimes they are loaded with walnuts, other times pecans or almonds.  Whatever you call them and whichever nuts you choose, I love these cookies for their buttery, powdery yumminess.  

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 9 Tablespoons salted butter, room temperature (1 stick plus one Tablespoon extra)
• 1/2 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 Cup walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 Cup toasted almonds
• 1/4 confectioner's powdered sugar (plus a bit more for coating the cookies)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla with a plastic spoon
3. Grind nuts in a food processor (Cuisinart)
4. Mix nuts into butter/sugar batter
5. Slowly incorporate whole wheat pastry flour into the mixture stirring until crumbly
6. Use hands if needed to squeeze, mix, and knead the dough until well combined
7. Shape the dough into ovals, flatten, and adjust to make egg shapes
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes
9. Allow cookies to cool slightly
10. Coat with powdered sugar while still warm
11. Sift more powdered sugar to tops of cookies using a colander or sifter until cookies are white in color

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 107mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g