Snowballs!

I’d like to introduce you to my family’s favorite holiday Christmas cookies: Snowballs. They’re easy to make and slightly rich, buttery, crispy, not too sweet and fun to eat.

Snowballs:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans (about 4 ounces)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Grease two large baking sheets. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and honey in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined and fluffy – 2 – 3 minutes. Lower the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in vanilla; then beat in flour and pecans until combined.

Roll the dough by tablespoonful between your palms, into balls. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1″ apart.

Bake the cookies just until they turn light golden brown – 12 – 14 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Put the powdered sugar into a large plastic food-storage bag. Add the cookies, 6 at a time, and gently shake the bag until they are coated with sugar.

Makes 24 one-inch cookies.

To serve, pile up on a tray.

Tip: Snowballs make great gifts! Wrap in cellophane bags for gift giving. For added cuteness and stability for gift giving, place cookie filled cellophane bags into vintage food containers (as shown above), jars, or colorful paper bags.

You can find this recipe and many more, as well as decorating ideas, projects, inspiration, and Christmas cheer in my book, The Farm Chicks Christmas.

Images by John Granen.