Christmas Snowball Cookies
KCaulder@CalhounTimes.com
As Christmas Eve draws near, it’s time to start thinking about what kind of cookies to leave out for Santa. The options are endless, with everything from chocolate chip and gingerbread to red velvet and ladyfingers, but there’s nothing more classic than a Christmas Snowball Cookie.
Rolled in powdered sugar, they are snowy and fluffy and serve as the perfect decorative (and tasty) addition to any holiday platter. Factor in inexpensive ingredients and the allergyfriendly lack of eggs and you’ve got a cheap and easy-to-make cookie that packs a punch. It doesn’t take long to make enough for the entire family, either. Leaving out the baking soda means they keep their round shape and don’t spread, so you can pack your cookie sheet as full as you’d like on the first go around.
Now, if you really want to impress guests or the guy in the red suit, I’d suggest throwing red and green mini M&Ms into the cookie mixture before shaping it into snowball shapes. They add lovely texture and the colors are especially festive. Nuts are a good go-to as well, but they can be left out for those of you with allergies.
Like all my recipes, this one is Granny-approved. I still remember her warning about the dough — “If it’s still crumblin’, keep on mixin’.”
It’s a good rule. You’ll want to mix the dough until it all starts to come together. I’d recommend using a stand or hand mixer unless you’re willing to get an arm work out.
Want to make your own Christmas Snowball Cookies for Santa? Here’s what you need:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini M&Ms, red and green preferred Additional powdered sugar for rolling Here’s how to make them:
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. As it heats, line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Then add salt and flour, and mix until the dough comes together. This can take a while if you are mixing by hand. I recommend using a stand or hand mixer to speed up the process.
Stir in the M&Ms. If you can’t find a package of just red and green ones, let the little ones in your life eat the rest. Or throw them in. Or eat them yourself. Cook’s choice.
Use an ice cream scoop to create balls of dough and place them on your prepped cookie
BELLE,
sheets. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottoms are just slightly browned.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until you can pick them up easily. Fill a small container with powdered sugar and roll each cookie around in it until coated.