Peppermint Snowball Cookies
These Peppermint Snowball Cookies are a holiday must-have! Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies loaded with crushed peppermint and pecans, then rolled in powdered sugar for that perfect snowy finish.
Servings: 30 cookies
Cost: $3.52
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10") light-colored
- Food processor or cutting board
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 1 cup unsalted butter see note 1
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract see note 2
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract not mint, see note 3
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (6 full candy canes) peppermint candies crushed, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spoon and level the measurement
- Powdered sugar 3/4 cup, for coating the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans in an even layer on a sheet pan. Bake 5–7 minutes or until pecans smell fragrant. Watch carefully; you don’t want to burn them. Remove and allow to cool completely before transferring them to a mini food processor or cutting board. Pulse on the “chop” setting or finely chop. You want very small pieces. Avoid over-pulsing in the food processor or you’ll end up with pecan butter.
- Either in a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large bowl (and using a hand mixer), combine butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Cream together until smooth and creamy, about 3–4 minutes. Add vanilla, peppermint, salt, cornstarch, chopped pecans, and 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies. Beat until smooth and combined. Add flour and beat slowly until combined and smooth. It will seem sandy and crumbly at first, but keep mixing; it will come together. Once combined, do not overmix.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 1–2 hours to chill (at least 1 hour).
- After chilling, measure cookie dough using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon (each ball should be 1 tablespoon). If the dough gets warmed from being rolled or sitting in a warm kitchen, put in the freezer for 10–15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a light-colored sheet pan with a silicone baking mat (see note 4). Bake 7–11 minutes (mine always take 8 minutes). Remove from oven, let stand on tray for 3–5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool about 2–3 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar to a bowl (I start with 3/4 cup; you may need slightly more). Add remaining 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy. Stir together; roll the warmed cookie in the powdered sugar, then return to the wire cooling rack. Let cool a few more minutes, then roll in the powdered sugar/peppermint mixture again.
Notes
Note 1: Be sure to use good-quality, unsalted butter, not margarine. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, not melted or softened. 1 cup is the equivalent of 16 tablespoons (or 2 sticks).
Note 2: I’ll sometimes use vanilla bean paste; 1 teaspoon of paste if using.
Note 3: Some extracts are much stronger than others. I recommend adding less first, then tasting and adjusting. I like 1/4 teaspoon (McCormick®), and the flavor is quite mild. Feel free to increase up to a full teaspoon, as desired.
Note 3: I tested this recipe with no parchment paper, with parchment paper, and with a silicone baking mat. The cookie bottoms turned out best every-time with the silicone baking mat. The darker the trays, the darker the bottoms of the cookies. The best results I found were with a light-colored tray.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Re-roll in additional powdered sugar as needed. Best enjoyed within 1–3 days.
Freezing:
Unbaked dough: Shape dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet in a single layer, then transfer to airtight freezer bags. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bake as directed in the recipe (you may need to add a minute or 2 to the baking time).
Baked cookies: Roll baked cookies in powdered sugar while slightly warm, cool completely, and freeze on a sheet pan. Once cookies are frozen solid, put in airtight freezer bags. Thaw at room temperature for 1–2 hours and roll them in powdered sugar a second time.
Nutrition
Serving: 32cookies | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg