Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spread whole almonds on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through to ensure even browning. The almonds should be fragrant and lightly golden. Once toasted, let them cool completely to room temperature—this is important because warm almonds release oils and become harder to grind finely. Once cooled, pulse them in a food processor until they reach a fine, flour-like consistency (about 1/16-inch texture). Measure out 1 cup of the ground almonds and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sifted confectioner's sugar together on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and creamy. This creaming process incorporates air into the dough, which helps the cookies have a tender, delicate crumb. Stop to scrape down the bowl halfway through to ensure everything is evenly combined.

With the mixer still running on low speed, add the almond extract to the butter-sugar mixture from Step 2 and beat until fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture and ground almonds from Step 1 to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together. I like to finish this last bit by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula—this prevents overmixing, which can make the cookies tough. The dough should look like coarse, moist sand that holds together when squeezed.

Roll the dough from Step 3 into 1-inch balls, working quickly so the dough doesn't warm up too much (this helps the cookies stay tender). Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart to allow for slight spreading. Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes—the cookies should be set but still pale on top with very slight golden edges. Don't overbake; these cookies continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven.

Let the baked cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 2-3 minutes until they're still warm but firm enough to handle. While they're still warm, roll them in powdered sugar, coating them generously on all sides—the warmth helps the sugar stick. Let them cool completely on a wire rack, then roll them in powdered sugar one more time for that signature thick, snowy coating that Russian tea cakes are known for. I find the double-coating gives the best visual appeal and texture contrast between the tender cookie and the sweet sugar shell.