Description

Master the art of the perfect holiday cookie with these buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Pecan Snowballs. This recipe leverages a unique double-coating sugar technique to achieve a beautiful snowy finish and a superior delicate texture.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar (for rolling)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream the softened butter, 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth.
Slowly add the flour, finely chopped pecans, and salt, mixing until the dough is just combined.
Roll the dough into small, 1-inch balls and place them on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, ensuring the tops remain pale while the bottoms turn a light golden brown.
Let the cookies sit for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool until warm.
Roll the warm cookies in the reserved 1/3 cup of confectioners’ sugar to create a base coat.
Once completely cooled, roll the cookies in the sugar a second time for a thick, snowy appearance.

Notes

To prevent the cookies from spreading, ensure your butter is softened but still cool to the touch rather than oily. If your kitchen is warm, chilling the dough balls for 10 minutes before baking helps maintain their spherical shape. The first roll in sugar should happen while the cookies are warm but not hot to prevent the sugar from melting into a syrup.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American