Classic Snowball Cookies: The Ultimate Buttery Pecan Shortbread Recipe for the Holidays
Indulge in these delightful, buttery shortbread cookies, generously filled with chopped pecans and meticulously rolled in a delicate blanket of powdered sugar. Often known as Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes, these enchanting Snowball Cookies are truly the epitome of an easy, festive dessert, making them absolutely perfect for your holiday celebrations!
Have you ever experienced the sheer joy of a snowball cookie? These charming little treats, with their distinctive powdered sugar coating, are universally loved and go by many names. While some fondly refer to them as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, the name “snowball cookies” perfectly captures their appearance – a tiny, irresistible sphere reminiscent of a freshly fallen snowball. Regardless of what you call them, their charm and deliciousness remain undisputed.
If you’re new to the world of these exquisite cookies, allow me to paint a picture for you: imagine a rich, incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie, generously studded with finely chopped pecans. Now, picture that delicate cookie rolled not once, but twice, in a sweet, powdery sugar coating that dissolves delightfully on your tongue. Yes, they are every bit as delicious, comforting, and utterly addictive as they sound, embodying the very essence of holiday cheer in every bite.
Why These Snowball Cookies Are Your New Holiday Baking Obsession
Beyond their captivating appearance and delightful taste, there are numerous reasons why these pecan snowball cookies will quickly become a cherished part of your holiday baking tradition. They combine simplicity with gourmet flavor, offering a stress-free baking experience that yields impressive results.
- Effortlessly Easy to Make: This recipe is designed for bakers of all skill levels. With straightforward steps and minimal fuss, you can achieve professional-looking and tasting cookies without any culinary expertise.
- Single-Bowl Convenience: Say goodbye to a sink full of dirty dishes! The entire cookie dough comes together beautifully in just one mixing bowl, streamlining your cleanup and making the baking process even more enjoyable.
- Only 6 Pantry Staples Required: You likely have most, if not all, of the necessary ingredients in your pantry right now. This recipe relies on common, accessible items, making it perfect for spontaneous baking sessions or when you’re running low on specialty ingredients.
- No Dough Chilling Necessary: Forget waiting around! Unlike many cookie recipes that demand hours of chilling time, this snowball cookie dough is ready to bake almost immediately. This means quicker gratification and warm, fresh cookies in record time.
- Endless Customization Possibilities: While pecans are a classic choice, this recipe is incredibly versatile. You can easily swap out the pecans for other delicious additions like crunchy walnuts, sweet dried cranberries, or delightful mini chocolate chips to suit your taste or dietary preferences.
Decoding the Perfect Snowball Cookie Ingredients
Crafting the perfect batch of snowball cookies starts with understanding the role of each ingredient. This simple recipe calls for just a handful of essentials: unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, salt, and chopped pecans. Let’s delve into what makes each one crucial for that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: The foundation of these buttery shortbread cookies is, of course, butter. I always recommend using unsalted butter as it gives you complete control over the total salt content in your baking. For the best results, ensure your butter is softened to room temperature before you begin. This allows it to cream together smoothly with the sugar, creating an airy base for your dough. If salted butter is all you have on hand, simply remember to omit the ¼ teaspoon of added salt from the recipe.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar, powdered sugar plays a dual role in this recipe. Firstly, it sweetens the cookie dough, contributing to its delicate flavor. More importantly, its fine texture is key to preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking, helping them maintain their perfect round, snowball shape. Granulated sugar, with its larger crystals, would cause excessive spreading, resulting in flat cookies. Secondly, and perhaps most famously, powdered sugar provides that iconic snowy coating after the cookies bake.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: These two seemingly small additions are mighty flavor enhancers. Pure vanilla extract adds a warm, aromatic depth that complements the buttery richness beautifully. Always opt for pure vanilla extract for the most authentic and robust flavor. Salt, on the other hand, balances the sweetness and highlights all the other flavors, preventing the cookies from tasting bland.
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides the necessary structure for your cookies, ensuring they hold their shape and have a tender crumb. Correctly measuring your flour is paramount for baking success. Avoid scooping flour directly from the bag with your measuring cup, as this compacts it and can lead to adding too much, resulting in dry, dense cookies. Instead, always stir the flour in its container, then spoon it lightly into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. For a comprehensive guide, refer to this detailed explanation on how to measure flour correctly.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans add a delightful nutty flavor and a subtle textural crunch to these shortbread cookies. Their rich, buttery essence pairs perfectly with the cookie base. While highly recommended for their classic taste, pecans are completely optional. Feel free to leave them out if you prefer a simpler cookie, or swap them for an equal amount of other chopped nuts like walnuts or almonds. For a unique twist, you could even try dried cranberries or mini chocolate chips for a different flavor profile.
Crafting Your Own Festive Snowball Cookies: A Step-by-Step Guide
Making these delightful snowball cookies is a straightforward process, promising delicious results that will impress everyone. Follow these steps for perfect, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread treasures.
- Prepare Your Workstation: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C). While the oven heats up, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This crucial step prevents sticking and ensures even baking. Set them aside, ready for your cookie dough.
- Cream the Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, combine the softened unsalted butter, ½ cup (60 grams) of the powdered sugar (remember to save the remaining 1 cup for rolling!), and the vanilla extract. Beat these ingredients together for about 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed until the mixture is light, creamy, and well combined. Proper creaming incorporates air, contributing to the cookies’ tender texture.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Pecans: Gradually add the measured flour and salt to the creamed mixture. Continue mixing on low speed until the flour is just incorporated. The dough might appear crumbly at first, but don’t worry – keep mixing, and it will eventually come together to form a cohesive dough. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to ensure everything is fully combined. If you’re using chopped pecans, fold them in at this stage, mixing on low speed until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Avoid overmixing once the flour is added.
- Shape Your Snowballs: Once your dough is ready, it’s time to form the cookies. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or a standard measuring tablespoon, portion out the dough. Gently roll each portion between your palms to create perfectly round, uniform balls. Place these dough balls onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between each cookie to allow for slight spreading.
- Bake to Perfection: Transfer the baking sheets to your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 13 to 15 minutes. The key is to look for cookies that appear set and have lightly browned bottoms. You don’t want them to brown too much on top, as their pale appearance is part of their charm. Keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes, as ovens can vary. Overbaking can lead to dry, crumbly cookies, while underbaking might make them too soft.
- First Powdered Sugar Roll (Warm): As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. While still warm (but not hot to the touch), gently roll each cookie in the remaining 1 cup (120 grams) of powdered sugar. The warmth of the cookies helps the sugar adhere beautifully, creating a substantial first layer of “snow.”
- Second Powdered Sugar Roll (Cool): After the first roll, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once they are fully cooled to room temperature, roll them one more time in the powdered sugar. This second roll ensures a thick, opaque, and truly “snowy” coating, enhancing both their appearance and their delightful sugary crunch.
- Serve and Enjoy: At this point, your exquisite pecan snowball cookies are ready to be savored! Arrange them on a platter for your holiday gathering, or simply enjoy them as a sweet treat with a cup of coffee or tea. If you’re not eating them right away, follow the storage instructions below to keep them fresh.
These pecan snowball cookies need to bake for approximately 13 to 15 minutes, or until they appear set and their bottoms are just lightly browned. It’s crucial not to underbake these cookies, as they might crumble, but equally important not to overbake them, which can make them dry. Keep a careful watch on them in the oven to achieve that perfect tender texture.
Once you’ve removed them from the oven, let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before gently rolling them in powdered sugar. This initial roll adheres best while they are still warm. After they’ve cooled completely on a wire rack, roll the cookies one more time in powdered sugar to achieve that iconic, generously “snow-dusted” appearance and extra layer of sweetness.
Now, these delightful cookies are ready to be enjoyed! Whether you serve them immediately or store them in an airtight container for later, they are sure to bring a smile to anyone who tastes them.
Pro Baking Tips for Perfect Snowball Cookies
Achieving uniformly delicious snowball cookies is simple with a few expert tips. These suggestions will help ensure your cookies are perfectly tender, beautifully shaped, and consistently delightful every time you bake them.
- Measure Flour Accurately: One of the most common baking mistakes is improper flour measurement. For light and tender cookies, avoid scooping flour directly out of the container with your measuring cup, as this compresses the flour and results in too much being used. Instead, gently stir the flour in its bag or container, then spoon it into your measuring cup until it’s overflowing. Finally, level it off with the straight edge of a knife or a flat spatula. This “spoon and level” method ensures you add just the right amount of flour, preventing dense or dry cookies.
- Ensure Uniform Cookie Size: For even baking, it’s essential that all your cookie dough balls are roughly the same size. Aim for about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie. A dedicated one-tablespoon cookie scoop works wonders for this, creating consistent portions quickly and efficiently. If you don’t have a scoop, a regular measuring tablespoon is a great alternative. Uniform size not only looks professional but also ensures that all cookies bake through at the same rate, preventing some from being overdone while others are still raw.
- Experiment with Mix-ins and Flavors: While pecans are traditional and delicious, feel free to get creative with your additions! This recipe is incredibly adaptable. You can easily swap out the chopped pecans for other nuts like finely chopped walnuts or almonds. For a different flavor profile, consider adding mini chocolate chips, colorful sprinkles, or even finely minced dried cranberries. You can also play with extracts – a touch of almond extract instead of vanilla, or a hint of orange zest, can add a delightful twist to these classic treats.
More Festive Christmas Treats to Try!
If you’re in the mood for more holiday baking adventures, or simply looking to expand your repertoire of delicious treats, here are some other beloved recipes that are perfect for the festive season:
- Easy Chocolate Fudge: A rich, creamy, and wonderfully simple fudge that’s always a hit.
- Classic Thumbprint Cookies: Sweet, buttery cookies with a delightful jammy center – perfect for any cookie platter.
- Homemade Peppermint Bark: Layers of rich chocolate and refreshing peppermint, a quintessential holiday confection.
- Peanut Butter Blossoms: Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies crowned with a chocolate kiss, an absolute classic.
- Irresistible Candied Pecans: Sweet, crunchy, and spiced – these make a fantastic snack or topping.
Video Tutorial: Watch How Easy Snowball Cookies Are to Make!
For those who prefer a visual guide, this helpful video tutorial walks you through each step of making these delicious snowball cookies. See exactly how the ingredients come together, how to roll the perfect dough balls, and get tips for that final perfect powdered sugar coating. It’s the perfect companion to the written recipe, ensuring your baking experience is smooth and successful!
Snowball Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 and ½ cups (180 grams) powdered sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 and ¼ cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (90 grams) chopped pecans
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ½ cup (60 grams) of powdered sugar (set the remaining 1 cup aside to roll the cookies in), and vanilla extract for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined. Mix in the flour and salt until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the chopped pecans until fully incorporated into the cookie dough.
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Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop (or measuring tablespoon) scoop out the cookie dough, roll into balls, and place on the prepared baking sheets.
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Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are set and the bottoms are lightly browned.
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Allow cookies to cool slightly for about 5 minutes, then roll each cookie in the remaining 1 cup (120 grams) of powdered sugar while they’re still warm. Allow to cool completely and roll all of the cookies one more time in the powdered sugar.
Notes
Freezing Instructions: Balls of cookie dough will freeze well for up to 3 months in a freezer-friendly storage container or bag, bake from frozen for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Baked cookies will also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature and roll in more powdered sugar before serving.
Unsalted Butter: If you only have salted butter on hand, just omit the salt from the recipe.
Pecans: These are totally optional! You may also replace them with chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, or mini chocolate chips.