Snowball Cookies
Buttery walnut cookies with a delicate, crumbly centre and a snowy double coating of powdered sugar. Batch yield: 15 small cookies; approximately 360 g finished batch. One serving: 1 baked, sugar-coated cookie, approximately 24 g. Prep time means total non-oven elapsed time: 45 minutes for butter softening, 25 minutes of hands-on preparation and coating, 30 minutes of chilling, and 40 minutes of cooling. Preheating happens during chilling and is not counted again. Cook time is 18 minutes for one tray containing the entire batch. Allow approximately 2 hours 38 minutes from cold butter to fully cooled, double-coated cookies. Appliances: Oven; Electric hand mixer; Refrigerator. Equipment: Digital kitchen scales; 5 ml measuring spoon; 30 × 40 cm baking tray; Baking parchment; Large mixing bowl; Spatula; Table knife; Wire cooling rack; Two shallow bowls. Allergens: Butter contains milk, flour contains wheat, and walnuts are tree nuts. Check packaged ingredients for additional allergen and cross-contact information. Nutrition is estimated per cookie and includes all 45 g of coating sugar. Storage: Once completely cool, store airtight at cool room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Freeze in a rigid airtight container for up to 2 months, separating layers with baking parchment. Thaw in the closed container at room temperature for approximately 2 hours. The sugar coating may soften after refrigeration or freezing.
140 min
Prep
18 min
Cook
15
Serves
127
Calories
Macros · per serving
1g protein
13g carbs
8g fat
Ingredients
For 15 servings
- 115 g Unsalted butter
- 35 g Granulated sugar
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 140 g Plain all-purpose flour
- 1 g Fine salt
- 35 g Finely chopped walnuts
- 45 g Powdered icing sugar
Instructions
- 1
Cut the butter into small cubes and leave at room temperature for approximately 45 minutes, until easily indented but still cool and not greasy. Line a 30 × 40 cm baking tray with baking parchment.
- 2
Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl for 2–3 minutes, until creamy and slightly lighter. Beat in the vanilla extract, scraping down the bowl with a spatula.
- 3
Add the flour and salt. Mix on the lowest speed just until clumps form, then fold in the walnuts with the spatula. Press the mixture together into a soft, cohesive dough without kneading.
- 4
Divide into 15 portions of approximately 22 g each. Roll gently into balls and arrange on the prepared tray with at least 3 cm between them. Refrigerate the entire tray for 30 minutes.
- 5
While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F conventional or 155°C fan. Bake all 15 cookies together on the middle shelf for 18 minutes. They should look dry and set, with pale tops and lightly golden bases; they will still be fragile while hot.
- 6
Leave the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, divide the powdered sugar between two shallow bowls: 20 g in the first and 25 g in the second.
- 7
Carefully roll the warm cookies in the first bowl of powdered sugar. Transfer to a wire rack and leave for a further 30 minutes, until completely cool. The first coating will partly dissolve into the surface.
- 8
Roll the cold cookies in the second bowl of powdered sugar for an opaque, snowy finish. Spoon any remaining measured sugar from both bowls over the cookies to finish the coating. Handle gently to preserve their crumbly texture.
Cook it this week.
NeatEat plans Snowball Cookies — and the rest of your week — around your budget, groceries included.