Let It Snow Cookies

Sometimes called Snowball, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Butterballs or Russian Tea Cookies, our Let It Snow Cookies are an easy, classic winter treat!

Our Let It Snow Cookies, a riff on Mexican Wedding Cookies, bring back loads of childhood memories from my great Aunt Henie. She was a loving mother, grandmother and aunt, and a very skilled baker. She always had something special to munch on when we visited her home tucked away in a small town on the southern tier of New York state. Her cookies seemed to come alive in your mouth and always had just the right texture.

With their nutty shortbread, melt in your mouth taste, the Let It Snow Cookies are a great bite. The cookies are purposely small and rich. They will delightfully crumble in your mouth, as a bigger cookie would fall apart.

Butter and nuts are the main attraction in this cookie, so be sure they are fresh and best quality. The chocolate chips, vanilla and almond extract, combined with the cocoa powder, bump up the flavor. A bit of spice makes it feel more festive. This variation of a classic snowball is easy to make. The cookie dough is intentionally not too sweet, since the cookies will be coated twice in powdered sugar.

For best results, measure correctly, and don't overmix or over bake. Leave the formed cookies in the refrigerator before baking, for 15-30 minutes so that the cookies retain their shape in the oven.

You might get a little messy applying the powdered sugar twice, but that’s half the fun.

Package our Let It Snow Cookies up in boxes or bags for the holidays since they last for days. Display on a colorful platter or a deep bowl at a party. Serve with hot cocoa, milk and a big satisfying smile. Aunt Henie would be proud.

Yield: 24 medium size cookies

Author: Stacey Berk

Sometimes called Snowball, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Butterballs or Russian Tea Cookies, our Let It Snow Cookies are an easy classic winter treat!

prep time: 35 Mcook time: 11 Mtotal time: 46 M

ingredients:

Dough

2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of almond extract
1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of cinnamon or cardamom
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 ¼ cups of mini chocolate chips

Topping

1 cup of confectioners’ sugar

instructions:

How to cook Let It Snow Cookies

Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter and granulated sugar together. Add the extract, cocoa, salt, spice and the flour. Scrape down the mixer. Next, fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Using a small 1.5 ice cream scooper with a release or heaping tablespoon, form the cookies into balls, 1"-1 1/2" for each. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, approximately 12 to a sheet, about 1 inch apart. Chill for 15-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake 11-13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the bake time, until the cookies are lightly brown. Do not overbake.
Place confectioner's sugar in a large shallow dish.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a rack with a spatula. While still warm, carefully roll the cookies in confectioner's sugar. Place on wire rack to cool and harden completely, then roll again in confectioner's sugar.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for 2-5 days at room temperature.

NOTES:

• Measure all ingredients carefully. • Do not overbake the Let It Snow Cookies. • Make sure no mini chocolate chips are directly touching the baking sheet on the bottom of the cookie to avoid burning. • If the cookie dough is too dry, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk. • For a sweeter shortbread cookie base, use ½ cup of granulated sugar to form the dough. • Different nuts work wonderfully in this recipe based on your preference. Substitute 1 cup of finely chopped pistachios, hazelnuts or peanuts. • For a “classic” take on this cookie, use 2 cups of chopped nuts and omit the mini chocolate chips. • You can try making our Let It Snow Cookies nut free if allergies are a concern by replacing the nuts with 1 cup of crushed pretzels, 1 cup of sprinkles or 1 cup of finely chopped dried cranberries. • To make this recipe gluten free, try substituting a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour product. • We do not recommend margarine or butter substitutes for the Let It Snow Cookies.
• You can make this cookie dough ahead of time. Form it into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then a plastic freezer proof bag. Store in the fridge for 2 days, or the freezer for up to a month. Let the dough thaw to room temperature, form into balls and bake. Follow the remaining steps.

Created using The Recipes Generator

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