Description
Delightful Snowball Cookies bring holiday magic straight from Mexican kitchens, rolling delicate pecan-studded dough into powdery white spheres of pure winter joy. Festive crumbly treats melt gracefully, connecting family memories with each heavenly sweet bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (120 g) finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Sweetening and Flavoring:
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Seasoning:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the oven environment by heating to 350F (175C) and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and simplify post-baking cleanup.
- Utilize an electric mixer to blend softened butter and powdered sugar, whipping the mixture until it reaches a light, airy texture with increased volume, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Enhance the butter mixture with vanilla extract and a subtle salt pinch, then methodically fold in all-purpose flour until just incorporated; gently integrate chopped nuts if desired.
- Craft uniform dough spheres using hands or a cookie scoop, creating compact 1-inch rounds that maintain a consistent size and shape for even baking.
- Arrange cookie balls strategically on the prepared sheet, maintaining slight separation to allow minimal spreading during the baking process.
- Carefully monitor cookies in the preheated oven, removing when edges display a delicate golden hue, typically after 12-15 minutes, ensuring centers remain tender and not overly crisp.
- Allow cookies a brief 5-minute resting period on the baking sheet to stabilize their structure before transitioning to a wire cooling rack.
- While cookies retain residual warmth, generously enrobe each one in powdered sugar, creating a thick, elegant white coating that resembles fresh snowfall.
- Permit cookies to cool completely, allowing the powdered sugar to set and the texture to reach optimal delicacy before serving or storing.
Notes
- Make butter softness crucial by leaving it at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before mixing, ensuring smooth, even blending without lumps.
- Choose finely ground nuts like pecans or walnuts for better texture and more consistent cookie coverage, enhancing the overall flavor profile.
- Create gluten-free versions by substituting all-purpose flour with almond flour or a gluten-free blend, maintaining the delicate, crumbly texture of traditional snowball cookies.
- Roll cookies in powdered sugar twice for extra thick, elegant coating – first while warm, then again after completely cooling for maximum snowy appearance and sweet dusting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg