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Festive Snowball Cookies Recipe

Festive Snowball Cookies Recipe


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4.9 from 18 reviews

  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 25 1x

Description

Holiday cookie enthusiasts will adore these Minty Snowball Cookies, a festive treat blending cool peppermint with buttery shortbread. Delicate powdered sugar coating and refreshing mint flavor make these cookies a delightful winter dessert you’ll savor with each bite.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (135 g) mini chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate
  • ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (plus extra for coating)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp peppermint extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Green or red sanding sugar (optional, for a festive touch)

Instructions

  1. Preparation: Gather mixing bowl, parchment-lined baking sheet, measuring tools, and electric mixer for efficient cookie crafting.
  2. Creaming: Whip butter and powdered sugar until transformed into a pale, fluffy mixture, creating a silky foundation for the dough.
  3. Flavor Infusion: Blend vanilla and peppermint extracts thoroughly, ensuring aromatic essence permeates the entire mixture.
  4. Dough Formation: Integrate flour and salt, gently folding until a cohesive dough emerges, avoiding excessive mixing that could compromise texture.
  5. Chocolate Integration: Fold mini chocolate chips throughout the dough, guaranteeing a consistent chocolate experience in each morsel.
  6. Oven Preparation: Heat oven to 350F (175C), allowing complete temperature stabilization before baking commences.
  7. Cookie Shaping: Craft uniform 1-inch spheres with gentle, consistent pressure, maintaining smooth, symmetric cookie shapes.
  8. Baking Process: Arrange cookie balls on prepared sheet, maintaining slight separation to prevent merging during baking.
  9. Baking and Cooling: Bake 10-12 minutes until set but not browned, then rest for 5 minutes to stabilize structure.
  10. First Sugar Coating: While warm, delicately roll cookies in powdered sugar, creating an initial light dusting.
  11. Optional Decoration: Optionally incorporate green or red sanding sugar for festive visual appeal.
  12. Final Sugar Coating: After complete cooling, execute a second powdered sugar roll for a luxurious, snow-like finish.
  13. Storage: Preserve cookies in an airtight container, maintaining freshness for up to one week at room temperature.

Notes

Customize Texture Carefully: Avoid overmixing dough to prevent dense, tough cookies; mix ingredients just until combined for a light, crumbly texture.

Manage Mint Intensity: Adjust peppermint extract quantity based on personal preference; start with less and gradually increase for balanced flavor without overwhelming mintiness.

Achieve Perfect Shape: Use consistent, gentle pressure when forming cookie balls to ensure uniform size and smooth exterior, which helps cookies bake evenly and look professional.

Temperature Control Matters: Allow cookies to cool slightly before first powdered sugar coating to help sugar adhere better and create a smooth, even layer without clumping.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Desserts, Snacks
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 25
  • Calories: 150
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Sodium: 50 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 30 mg