These Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies smell like roasted nuts and buttery dough, which makes you feel like you’re in a warm kitchen. These cookies are a great holiday tradition. People have enjoyed them for years because they are soft, have a lot of nuts in them, and are sprinkled in powdered sugar that makes them look like they are blanketed in snow. They are very cute because they aren’t too flashy or decorated. What they offer is much better: simplicity, warmth, and the comfort that comes from a family recipe that has been passed down through the years and shared at family gatherings and cookie exchanges.
There are no leavening chemicals or complicated steps in making snowball cookies. They are just shortbread cookies. But don’t be fooled by how simple they are; their texture is unmatched. The surface of each slice is crunchy, while the inside is soft and creamy, with finely chopped nuts on top. Before you add the nuts to the dough, roast them. This helps them taste a lot better. It also brings out their natural oils and makes the finished biscuit taste a little smoky. The powdered sugar finish and the sweet dough make the nutty depth just right.
Making these cookies is both fun and soothing. To start, mix together softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. This batter is a simple base that you whisk until it is light, fluffy, and pale. To make the dough richer and help it cling together, add one egg yolk. Then, for a light, flowery taste, add a drop of pure vanilla essence. Mix together all-purpose flour and a small bit of salt in a another bowl. After that, the flour mixture is slowly mixed into the butter mixture. The dough is soft and a touch crumbly, and it’s easy to put together.
Mix in the finely chopped nuts slowly so that they are equally spread out and the dough doesn’t get too tough. The nuts should be completely cool if they were toasted. Once the pecans are incorporated in, the dough is ready to be rolled out. You take about a spoonful of dough for each cookie and roll it between your hands until it becomes a smooth ball. Put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure there is space between each one. Put them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 15 minutes. You can tell they’re done when the bottoms are a light golden color and the tops are still pale and just set. You don’t want them to be brown; you want them to be soft.
As soon as they are cool enough to touch but still warm, they are carefully rolled in a thick layer of powdered sugar. The heat not only makes the sugar stick to the surface, but it also melts it a little, which gives it that snowy effect. Once they have completely cooled on a wire rack, you can dust them again to make them appear and taste even better.
These cookies hold their shape nicely, and they taste even better a day or two after baking since the flavors are stronger and the sugar coating solidifies entirely. They will stay fresh and soft for up to a week if you keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, although they normally don’t last that long.
These Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies are more than simply a treat; they’re a little bit of happiness. You may give these cookies as gifts in tins, eat them by the fire with tea or hot chocolate, or serve them at Christmas events. You have to make these every winter since they look rustic, feel delicate, and taste great. These cookies will make you smile, bring back good memories, and maybe even leave a little powdered sugar on your fingers, which is the best kind of mess.