Snowball Cookies

I did it again. Holiday baking, that is. I'm not sure if it's all the mouth-watering food blogs I religiously follow, or the fact that a blizzard hit the Midwest, and we'll see snow soon. Whatever the case, there was another round of festive treats made in my kitchen. 

While I was putting these cute little creations together, rolling the balls into just the right shape and size, it reminded me of growing up. Waaaaaay back then I didn't mind the snow. On the rare occasion my brother and I were getting along My brother and I would go out to play, packing snow together, creating piles of perfectly coifed balls of sparkling snow, ready for a good old fashioned snowball fight. Making these cookies brought back some memories I happily revisited.

Snowball Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup almonds, finely chopped, divided
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
1½ cups powdered sugar, for rolling cookies after baking

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. Mix the flour, 1/2 cup of almonds and the chopped pecans, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Place the remaining chopped almonds in a food processor and process until they are the texture of coarse cornmeal, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into the flour mixture and set aside.

4. Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract, then scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough just begins to come together but still looks scrappy, about 15 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and continue beating at low speed until the dough is cohesive, about 10 more seconds.

5. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough between the palms of your hands and place on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies will only spread a little bit, so you can place them fairly close together. Bake until the tops are pale golden and the bottoms are just beginning to brown, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.

6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

7. Place the powdered sugar in a large zip-top bag. Working with 3 or 4 cookies at a time, place them in the bag of sugar and gently toss to coat them thoroughly. Gently shake off any excess. Allow the cookies to sit for at least an hour, or up to overnight, and then repeat the process. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

These were so easy to whip up. You'll probably have most ingredients on hand. The best part is these little nuggets are really versatile and can be altered to fit your desired tastes. Don't like pecans? Leave 'em out. Love walnuts? Throw 'em in. Not a fan of almond extract? Add more vanilla instead. Want to give it a little punch of nutmeg? Go for it. 

Enjoy!

Source: Inspired by Brown Eyed Baker