These snowballs are a fun cookie to make and add a twist to your holiday cookie platter. They are a favorite of mine and most of my family.
Ingredients:
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners? sugar, or more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (gluten-free)
- 2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (Cup4Cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions:
- Combine the butter, 1/2 cup of the confectioners sugar and the vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer.
- Beat on medium speed for several minutes, until lightened and creamy. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
- On low speed, gradually add the flour and salt to form a dough. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
- Add the pecans and stir by hand until well distributed.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to a day in advance).
- When ready to bake, position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees.
- Have two ungreased baking sheets at hand.
- Spread the remaining cup of confectioners? sugar in a deep bowl.
- Roll the refrigerated dough into 48 balls of equal size (about 1 tablespoon each), placing them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake (upper and lower racks) for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and half a turn at the midpoint. The cookies will be just set.
- Let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then immediately and carefully place a few at a time in the confectioners? sugar, rolling to coat well.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once all the snowballs are coated and cooled, re-coat them all, adding confectioner’s sugar to the bowl as needed.
I love the Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, or snowballs. Is there a dairy free substitute for butter that actually has a butter TASTE? We use Earth Balance, which doesn’t have a butter taste.
Help!