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Snowball Cookies

These delightful snowball cookies are a classic buttery treat, perfect for holidays or any occasion. Made with simple ingredients like softened butter, icing sugar, flour, and ground almonds, they offer a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Once baked to a light golden hue, they are generously coated in extra icing sugar, resembling little snowballs. This recipe yields a subtly sweet, nutty cookie that's both easy to prepare and wonderfully satisfying.
Course Snack
Cuisine eastern europe
Servings 8 people
Calories 1896.4 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Electric Mixer (Hand or Stand Mixer)
  • 1 Baking Sheet
  • 1 Sieve For dusting icing sugar
  • 1 Spatula or Rubber Scraper

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 150 g Plain flour
  • 120 g Butter softened
  • 50 g Icing sugar
  • a pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • 50 g Ground almonds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and 50g of icing sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  • Stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt until well combined.
  • Gradually add the plain flour and ground almonds to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed or by hand until a cohesive dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
  • Take small portions of the dough (about 15-20g each) and roll them into uniform, bite-sized balls (approximately 1-inch in diameter).
  • Place the cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet, ensuring there is a small space between each cookie.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly golden and the cookies are set but still appear pale.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up slightly.
  • While still warm but cool enough to handle, gently roll the cookies in a generous amount of fresh icing sugar until completely coated.
  • Transfer the coated cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, then roll them in icing sugar a second time for a denser, more pronounced 'snowball' effect.

Notes

Achieving the perfect texture for these snowball cookies hinges on the butter's consistency; ensure it's truly softened, not melted, to cream effectively with the icing sugar. Overworking the dough after adding flour can develop gluten, resulting in tougher cookies, so mix just until combined. For an optimal 'snowball' appearance, dust the warm cookies generously with icing sugar right after baking, and then again once they are completely cool. This double coating creates that characteristic powdery finish and enhances their delicate sweetness. Consider toasting the ground almonds lightly before adding them for a deeper, nuttier flavor profile.