Buttery pecan snowball cookies

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 11 mins | Total Time: 36 mins | Yield: 36 Servings

This recipe has always been a part of my family since I was a little kid. I remember my Grandma used to make these all the time! She was a very skilled pastry chef, and I am so grateful to her for a lot of recipes! I have listed all the ingredients and directions so all you have to do is to follow them step by step and you are good to go! As perfect as this recipe already is, feel free to teak it to your liking. I am so excited to share this with you. Everyone should taste how delicious these heavenly treats are! Have a wonderful day, friends, and I hope that you will love and appreciate this recipe today. By the way, don’t forget to share this with your peers as well. Enjoy!

CAN SNOWBALL COOKIES BE FROZEN?

They can be baked and frozen ahead of time. Pack the cookies in double Ziploc freezer bags and place them in a sturdy glad-ware freezer container. When defrosting take them out of the containers frozen and place them on serving trays or platters uncovered. Never allow them to defrost in the plastic and the containers. The condensation that builds in there will ruin the cookies. Once the cookies have defrosted place them in airtight containers and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.

The dough can easily be frozen as well in a practice commonly known as flash freezing. Simply roll the dough and place it on parchment-covered baking sheets. Make sure the dough balls aren’t touching so they don’t freeze to each other. Place the whole sheet in the freezer until frozen and then transfer the balls to a freezer bag. Store that bag in a sturdy freezer container. When you are ready to bake simply place the cookies on a parchment-covered baking sheet and let them thaw just a tad while the oven preheats. Frozen cookies may require an additional one to two minutes of baking time.

DO YOU HAVE TO USE PECANS FOR SNOWBALL COOKIES?

Heck no! You can use English walnuts, black walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and even cashews. Just make sure the nuts are shelled, roasted, and finely chopped. Each nut gives the cookie a delicious different unique flavor.

HELPFUL RECIPE TIPS FOR SNOWBALL COOKIES

Use real honest-to-goodness butter so they taste yummy. I personally use Land O Lakes butter for all my cookies.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Chop the pecans fairly fine. Remember you can use different nuts.
This a thick dough so roll the cookies with your hands because the warmth of your hands will help shape the cookies.
Preheat the oven and load the baking sheet in the middle of the oven.
Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
If you have time do a test run with one or two cookies. It really helps to establish baking time.
Do not over-bake the cookies. These are a type of shortbread cookies with a crumbly melt-in-your-mouth texture.
When measuring your flour spoon the flour into the measuring cups and level off with a table knife.
Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

RECIPE VARIATIONS

Roll the dough around an unwrapped chocolate kiss
Add 3/4 cup chopped Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips to the cookie dough
Add 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough
Mix
Replace the vanilla with lemon juice, add 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest and use finely chopped sliced almonds instead of the pecans to make Almond Lemon Snowballs.
Substitute almonds coarsely ground in a food processor for the pecans and add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

How long do pecan cookies last?

They are good for about a week stored at room temperature or frozen for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup powdered sugar for dusting

How to make Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies

Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Cream the butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer. Adjust the mixer speed to low, then add in the salt, vanilla, flour, and pecans.

Step 3: Into an inch ball, roll the batter and place the balls a few inches apart from each other on parchment-covered baking sheets. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 11 minutes, making sure to keep an eye on the cookies to not overbake them.

Step 4: Take the cookies out of the oven when done and let them cool a little. Meanwhile, place a cup of powdered sugar in a large Ziploc bag or a wide bowl. Gently coat about 3 to 4 cookies at a time. Scoop the cookies using a fork, shaking gently to remove any excess powdered sugar. On cooling racks, transfer the cookies and let them cool completely before rolling each again in the powdered sugar.

NOTES

Use real honest-to-goodness butter so they taste yummy. I personally use Land O Lakes butter for all my cookies.
Pecans can be purchased as halves or pieces. Using the food processor to chop the pecans delivers the best results for this cookie. It will give you just the right amount of finely chopped nuts and nut crumbs, creating a not-too-dry dough that gives the finished cookies a delicate texture.