Snowball Cookies

Whether you call them snowballs, Russian tea cakes, or Mexican wedding cookies, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are a must for so many people during the holidays. It seems no cookie platter is complete without them. I like to make them with ground pecans, but feel free to substitute ground walnuts or almonds.

This cookie dough is extremely easy to make as long as you start with room temperature butter. Just place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine until no traces of dry flour remain. If you use BeaterBlade attachment, you won’t have to stop and scrape down the sides of your bowl.

Tip: Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to microwave cold butter to soften it - melted butter and softened butter act very different in recipes so just be patient and wait until the butter reaches room temperature naturally.

Use a #60 cookie scoop to portion out the dough.

Place them evenly on a silicone lined half sheet pan and bake as directed below. If you like, roll the dough into balls (I don’t because they roll all over the place).

Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before rolling in confectioner’s sugar.

Tip: I like to store used vanilla bean pods in my confectioner’s sugar. It really improves the flavor.

Just remove the vanilla bean pods from the confectioner’s sugar while you roll the cookies so they don’t get in your way. Replace them when you’re done.

Mmmm… your kitchen is going to smell like vanilla!

Allow the cookies to cool completely and, if you like, give them a 2nd toss in the confectioner’s sugar. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• BeaterBlade https://amzn.to/2DU8STk

• #60 cookie scoop https://amzn.to/3oCcBM7

• silicone baking mat https://amzn.to/367mM4Z

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3oC6rLW

• pure vanilla extract (the good stuff) https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

---

Snowball Cookies (aka Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies)

makes 48 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature (70F)

• 1/2 cup (63g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted

• 1 teaspoon (4g) pure vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 cups (270g) all purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup (90g) finely chopped toasted pecans (or walnuts or almonds)

• extra confectioner’s sugar for coating the cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and place rack in center position.

2. Place the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade or paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until no traces of dry flour remain (if you us a paddle attachment, scrape down sides of bowl as needed).

3. Use a #60 cookie scoop to portion 12 cookies per tray; bake one tray at a time for 8-10 minutes.

4. Remove cookies from oven and allow to rest on tray for 5 minutes before rolling in confectioner’s sugar; return cookies to tray and allow to cool completely before rolling in confectioner’s sugar a second time.

Note

• To toast pecans, place in a 350F oven for 5 minutes; cool completely before using.

More Christmas Cookies:

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Salted Caramel Russian Buttercream

During my last post I taught you how to make Russian Buttercream with a Mexican Twist (in the form of dulce de leche), and now I’m going to add a little French je ne sais quoi to the buttercream by giving it a salted caramel flavor profile, which pairs perfectly with Chocolate, or should I say Chocolat. Ooh-la-la!

Start by making delicious chewy chocolate cookies, which are perfectly divine on their own, and sandwich two together with a layer of salted caramel Russian Buttercream in the middle. It’s a heavenly combination.

Seriously, try not to eat all the chocolate cookies before you turn them into sandwich cookies!

You can serve these cookies at room temperature, but I think they’re even better slightly chilled (10-15 minutes in the fridge). Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• dulce de leche https://amzn.to/3gCrmKg

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• high quality dutch processed cocoa powder https://amzn.to/3gD1ez8

• disposable pastry bags https://amzn.to/3BbuV3t

• #50 scoop https://amzn.to/3JdIVN6

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3gDkY5m

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/367mM4Z

---

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies w/Salted Caramel Russian Buttercream

makes 12 sandwich cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 6 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa, sifted (use really good quality)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• extra granulated sugar to coat roll cookies in before baking (or use vanilla sugar)

Filling:

• 1/4 pound (113g) unsalted butter at room temperature (70F)

• 1/4 pound (113g) canned dulce de leche, chilled

• fine table salt to taste

Directions

To make the cookies:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside until needed.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater or BeaterBlade attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it lightens in color.

3. Add egg and pure vanilla extract; continue to mix until no traces of egg remain.

4. Turn mixer speed down to low; add cocoa mixture and combine until no traces of dry flour or cocoa remain, scraping bowl if needed.

5. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 350F, place rack in center of oven, and line 2 half sheet pans with silpat liners.

7. Using a #50 scoop (about 1 tablespoon), roll level scoops of chilled cookie dough in the palm of your hand to form a ball; coat with granulated sugar and space evenly on sheet pan, 12 per pan.

8. Bake for 9-10 minutes; remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To make the filling:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat room temperature butter using a hand mixer for 2-3 mites, until light in color and very fluffy.

2. Add chilled dulce de leche and continue beating with a hand mixer for 1 minute.

3. Taste the buttercream carefully and add just enough salt to achieve the level of salted caramel flavor you desire, beating well so the salt is evenly distributed.