Ingredients:
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered sugar, plus more for coating
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (90 grams) finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds work well)
Instructions:
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Baking Sheet:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Mix the Butter and Sugar:
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt.
- Make the Dough:
- Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
- Stir in the chopped nuts.
- If the dough is too soft, you can chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Shape the Cookies:
- Scoop out teaspoons of the dough and roll them into balls.
- Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about an inch apart.
- Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottoms are just starting to brown and the cookies are set.
- Coat with Powdered Sugar:
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet.
- While still warm, roll them in additional powdered sugar. Then, let them cool on a wire rack.
- Final Coating:
- Once the cookies are completely cool, roll them in powdered sugar again to get that classic snowy look.
- Serve and Enjoy:
- Snowball cookies are ready to be served once they’ve been double-coated with powdered sugar.
Tips:
- For the nuts, you can use a food processor to chop them finely, but be careful not to turn them into nut flour.
- Make sure the cookies are warm, not hot, when rolling them in powdered sugar the first time; if they’re too hot, the sugar will melt.
- If you want to make them in advance, these cookies store well in an airtight container and are also freezer-friendly.
Enjoy your homemade snowball cookies with a cup of tea or coffee, or as a festive treat during the holiday season!