Description
Delightful pecan snowball cookies bring Southern charm to holiday dessert tables. Crisp, powdery cookies melt in your mouth, offering sweet nutty comfort that connects generations of bakers.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks/226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (100 g) finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat: Warm the oven to 350F (175C), positioning the rack in the center for uniform heat distribution.
- Prep Surface: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, creating a smooth, non-stick foundation for the cookies.
- Cream Base: Whip softened butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until the mixture becomes light, airy, and pale, incorporating vanilla extract to infuse delicate aromatics.
- Develop Dough: Gently fold flour and salt into the butter mixture, then tenderly integrate chopped pecans, ensuring even distribution of nutty fragments throughout the delicate composition.
- Shape Cookies: Craft uniform one-inch spheres from the dough, arranging them with thoughtful spacing on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake Transformation: Slide the sheet into the preheated oven, allowing the cookies to bake 12-15 minutes until edges develop a subtle golden hue.
- Sugar Coating: Immediately after removing from the oven, while cookies remain warm, gently roll each in powdered sugar for an initial light dusting.
- Final Finish: Once completely cooled, perform a second rolling in powdered sugar, creating a pristine, snow-like exterior that transforms these treats into winter’s delicate confection.
Notes
- Chill Dough for Precision: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before shaping to prevent spreading and maintain the perfect snowball shape.
- Handle with Care: Use light, gentle touches when forming cookie balls to keep them delicate and prevent dense, tough textures.
- Control Sugar Coating: Apply powdered sugar in two stages – while warm and after cooling – for a thick, even, snow-like coverage that doesn’t clump.
- Nut Substitution Strategy: Swap pecans with almonds or walnuts for different flavor profiles, ensuring similar chopped sizes for consistent texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 156
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 12 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg