Description
Snowball Cookies are rich, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies loaded with finely chopped pecans and coated twice in confectioners’ sugar for a sweet, powdery finish. These classic cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations or any time you crave a delicate, nutty treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (105 g) pecans, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (125 g) confectioners’ sugar (for rolling)
Coating
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the unsalted butter with ½ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, enhancing the cookie’s texture.
- Add dry ingredients: On low speed, gradually add the all-purpose flour, chopped pecans, and kosher salt to the butter mixture. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend until everything is incorporated and the dough resembles coarse sand.
- Shape the cookies: Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Then, use your hands to roll each portion into smooth balls, spacing them about an inch apart to allow for slight spreading during baking.
- Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to turn light golden brown. Avoid over-baking to maintain their soft texture.
- First sugar roll: Immediately after removing the hot cookies from the oven, roll each cookie in the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar, ensuring they are fully coated while still warm.
- Cool and second sugar roll: Return the sugar-coated cookies to the lined baking sheets and allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, roll the cookies in confectioners’ sugar a second time to create the signature snowball appearance.
- Storage: Store the cooled snowball cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness and flavor.
Notes
- These cookies are rich and buttery with a flaky texture, highlighted by the chopped pecans and delicate vanilla flavor.
- Rolling the cookies twice in confectioners’ sugar gives them their classic snowball look and enhances the sweetness and texture.
- Make sure not to over-bake the cookies; they should be just lightly golden to keep them tender.
- Store in an airtight container to prevent the sugar coating from dissolving and the cookies from drying out.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 127 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
