Give me alllllll the holiday cookiesssss! Clearly, I’m still in the holiday spirit in terms of baking (have you made my gingerbread muffins yet?)
I’m so excited to be sharing this snowball cookie recipe with y’all today. Lately, I’ve been doing a ton of baking, but this cookie is probably one of my favorites so far. It’s easily the simplest dough I’ve ever had to make, only requires a few ingredients, and is nonetheless delicious. If you’re ever feeling lazy, yet still crave the satisfaction of a sweet, warm cookie, these sugar cookies are the ones for you!
I’m not just exaggerating when I say this recipe is simple – I mean it! It’s a one-bowl recipe, requires only six ingredients, and comes together in 20 minutes. So easy and straightforwards. So sweet and yummy.
And plus, look at how cute and little they are!
How to make the snowball cookies:
Starting out with the butter, you want to make sure that it’s softened. We start out by creaming it using an electric mixer, and in order to obtain that creamy dreamy consistency, it’s gotta be softened. Cream it for a good minute, just to make sure that it’s as fluffy as it can get.
Next, add the powdered sugar into the creamed butter. This makes the cookie extra soft and tender, as opposed to adding regular granulated sugar. It’ll seem crumbly and hopeless at first, but keep beating it with the electric mixer: it will all work out!
After adding the vanilla extract, it’s time to add the flour and salt. Now, this part requires you to get your hands a little dirty, but I promise it’s worth it! After turning the mixer to low and slowly incorporating all of the flour, it should look super crumbly, like wet sand, or crushed graham crackers. At this point, I find it easier just to add the pecans, and then go in with your hands to press all the bits together to form a uniform dough. If you want to add in some food coloring or sprinkles or any other fun add-ins, add that in with the pecans.
I’ll admit, chilling dough is a step that I usually skip for most cookie recipes, just because I’m so lazy and impatient. However, to retain the “snowball” shape, I ended up chilling the dough for 15 minutes. That way, the cookies keep their shape and don’t spread as much in the oven.
After baking for 15 minutes, let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes, and then roll them in powdered sugar (they should still be relatively warm from the oven). Then, let them cool completely, about 25-30 minutes, and give them a final coating in powdered sugar.
Look at how cute they turned out! And you only dedicated a tiny portion of your life to making a sweet batch of delectable goodness, all for you to enjoy, while sipping on some hot cocoa, reading a good book, and wishing for snow in Texas. Life is good, y’all.
– Ash
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the softened butter for a minute, until light and fluffy. Add in ½ cup powdered sugar, beating until creamy and combined. Scrape down the bowl. Beat in vanilla extract. Turn the mixer down to low speed, and slowly add the flour and salt. Beat until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (like wet sand), scraping down the bowl as needed. At this point, I like to turn off the mixer, add the chopped pecans, and use my hands to finish incorporating the dough. However, you can just add the pecans and continue to use the electric mixer (it will come together eventually - I am just impatient!). Place in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into balls. Place onto prepared baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until cookies are set.
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then roll each cookie in powdered sugar while they are still warm. Then, allow to cool completely on wired racks before rolling each cookie in powdered sugar one more time. Enjoy!
1 Comment
[…] Snowball cookies […]