Butter, spices, and traditional family recipes bring us together in the simplest—and most meaningful—ways. Christmas cookies are more than nostalgic treats; they’re a celebration of childhood memories, and maybe cookies help to make us all a little more patient, thoughtful & friendly each holiday season.
I remember driving with my father to the city each Christmas to pick up Aunt Flora. She would send us out with decorative plates of homemade, Italian Christmas cookies to deliver to the local relatives.
It was always snowing-we would spend a few minutes visiting each family, have a few cookies and a glass of sweet wine or coffee.
My mother and aunts began baking cookies the day after Thanksgiving. They filled the freezer with shoe boxes of cookies lined with wax paper for protection... frozen cookies are pretty delicious!
Snowball Cookies
Snowball Cookies, a delicious, melt in your mouth, nut cookie to bake and enjoy.
Mexican wedding cookies are a classic nut-based shortbread, prized for the tender texture and rich butter flavor. Finely chopped or ground, toasted pecans give these cookies their characteristic crumb, while a generous coating of powdered sugar adds sweetness without masking the nutty depth.
This cookie appears in many culinary traditions, each with its own name and subtle variations. In the United States and Mexico they’re commonly called Mexican wedding cookies; in Spain and much of Latin America, polvorones; in Austria, Vanillekipferl; ; and in parts of Eastern Europe, snowball cookies or tea cakes. Despite regional differences, the core technique remains the same: a delicate butter dough enriched with nuts and finished simply, letting texture and balance take center stage.
Snowball Cookies
Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
How to Prepare Snowball Cookies
Yield: 30 cookies (depends on the size)
Ingredients
1 Cup Butter, lightly salted; room temperature
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
pinch Kosher Salt
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 Cups AP Flour, sifted
1 Cup Toasted Pecans, chopped
Step 1 Making the dough
Place the sugar and butter into the mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, paddle at low speed and cream to a light, fluffy texture. (about 3 minutes) You will periodically turn off the machine and wipe the paddle, sides and bottom for a smooth consistency.
note-if the butter is too cold, grate or microwave for a few seconds to soften.
Add the salt and vanilla; mix for 2 minutes to incorporate.
Add the sifted flour to the creamed sugar and butter and blend at low speed to create a soft cookie dough-be careful not to overwork. (about 2 minutes at low speed). Scrape several times during this process with the mixer turned off.
Add the pecans and gently fold to incorporate. Place into the refrigerate to cool for 20 minutes.
Step 2 Portioning
Place the bowl of dough onto the counter and carefully spoon/scoop small balls of the dough onto a sheet pan, lined with parchment.
I use a teaspoon as the scoop size but slightly larger works well also- personal preference.
Step 3 Baking
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 8--10 minutes, when cookies begin to brown on the bottom, take them out to cool.
As soon as the cookies are warm to the touch, place onto a sheet pan with powdered sugar sprinkled on the bottom-sprinkle additional powdered sugar on top.
Enjoy.
