Snowball cookies, also called Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes, are melt in your mouth delicious Christmas cookies no matter the name! Soft buttery shortbread and nuts rolled twice in powdered sugar, these cookies are a classic.
Snowball Cookie Recipe
These buttery cookies with chopped nuts are perfect for enjoying with a cup of Spiked Hot Chocolate or an Old Fashioned. Whole pecans ground up and mixed into a buttery shortbread cookie make for the most mouthwatering little treat. They may look simple but these cookies are irresistible!
Today I am excited to be joining my Tastes of the Season friends once again to share Christmas Cookie recipes for with you. At the end of this post I will be sharing the other cookie recipes from my blogger friends, so keep reading!
Ingredients in Snowball Cookies
- Butter - there is no other salt in this recipe so make sure to use salted butter.
- Confectioner’s sugar - otherwise know as powdered sugar, sweetens the cookies and adds a crumbly texture.
- Vanilla extract - use the good stuff! Real Vanilla Extract has the very best flavor.
- All-purpose flour - I've only used white all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Minced pecans- this adds texture and flavor to these simple butter cookies.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
There are lots of recipes out there for snowball cookies, however this is how may family makes them! This recipe is a little different from others because you start with cold butter. The temperature of the butter makes these cookies super flakey and melt-in-your mouth delicious.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Add pecans to a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla.
4. Mix together flour and pecans and add to the butter mixture.
5. Roll out 1 Tablespoon of dough at a time and shape into balls.
6. Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake for 40 minutes.
7. While still warm, roll in confectioners’ sugar and allow to cool completely on cooling racks.
8. Dust or roll a second time in powdered sugar.
Variations:
- Nuts - I prefer pecans but you can also use walnuts.
- Flavoring - my family uses vanilla extract but you can also switch it up by using rum extract or almond.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Linzer Cookies
- Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Christmas Wreath Cookies
- Homemade Peanut Brittle
Tastes of the Season: Christmas Cookie Recipes
Italian Christmas Cookies by Ella Claire & Co. | Sugar Sprinkled Lemon Snowflake Cookies by French Country Cottage | Ginger Orange Cream Cookies by Handmade Farmhouse
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies by Zevy Joy | Snowball Cookies by Freutcake | Gingerbread Cookie Bars by Inspired by Charm
Snowball Cookies
Buttery melt in your mouth pecan shortbread cookies rolled in powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, cold
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for coating
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans, minced very fine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor add 1 cup of whole pecans and pulse until finely chopped.
- Mix pecans with flour and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. This might take a little while because the butter is cold. This is necessary for the crumbly texture.
- Once butter and sugar are incorporated, beat in vanilla.
- Add the flour and pecan mixture in on low speed and mix just until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop, roll out 1 Tablespoon of dough at a time into round balls and place on prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 40 minutes until the bottom is lightly golden brown and the cookie is set.
- When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in confectioners’ sugar and allow to cool completely on cooling racks.
- Dust or roll a second time in powdered sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 98mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g