Cinnamon-Spice Snowballs
A favorite family recipe for butterball cookies gets a boost of cinnamon and nutmeg for the holidays. Even better? You can make them up to three weeks ahead.
Cinnamon-Spice Snowballs
Photo Credit : Mark FlemingA holiday cookie swap recipe from Kate Van Geldern Bowler (@domestikateblog). Kate based this recipe on her grandmother’s beloved butterball cookies, adding cinnamon and nutmeg to give them a flavor reminiscent of French toast. You can make them up to three weeks ahead since they’re good keepers—a fitting choice for a woman whose new book, New England Invite, is loaded with make-ahead recipes for graceful entertaining.
Yield:
about 6 dozen cookiesIngredients
¾ cup pecan halves
¾ cup walnut halves
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° and set baking racks to the upper and lower middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse the pecans and walnuts until finely chopped. Set aside.
Using an electric or standing mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, two minutes. Add the vanilla and beat 30 seconds more.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, beating on low speed until smooth. Use a spatula to fold in the nuts.
Roll the dough into one-inch balls and set about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until set and barely beginning to brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool on the sheets until the cookies are just a bit warmer than room temperature.
Fill a medium bowl with a generous amount of powdered sugar. Working in small batches, roll the cookies in the sugar. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three weeks at room temperature.
