Walnut Snowball Cookies

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These Walnut snowball cookies are an all-time favorite Christmas cookie. Snowball cookies with walnuts are super easy to make and they melt in your mouth. Great for sending and gifting.

Let’s make Walnut Snowball Cookies

These easy walnut snowball cookies are made with walnuts, but pecans or a mix of walnut and pecans are also great.  This kind of holiday cookie is also called Mexican wedding cookies, polvorones and Russian tea cakes. No matter what you call them, these walnut cookies are addictive.

I would totally say that this walnut snowball cookies recipe is suitable for beginners and it makes the perfect cookie for a small family. If you have a crowd or are making Christmas cookies for gifting, double it

These are Christmas cookies that do keep well in the freezer, either baked or unbaked, for at least a month. If unbaked, there is no need to thaw them; just add an extra minute or two onto the baking time and you are good to go. If your walnut snowball cookies are already baked, go ahead and roll them in the first round of powdered sugar, then freeze them, and then roll again in powdered sugar after thawing.

How to toast walnuts in the oven

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanupArrange nuts in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Toast until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool down, then grind. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Tips for making Snowball Cookies

• If you want the snowball cookies to be extra melt-in-your-mouth tender, use fine cake flour. All-purpose flour is the standard and works just fine, though.
• Crumbly dough: Flick a little cold water or milk over the dough and gently knead it in.
• If you refrigerate the dough overnight, let it warm up a bit at room temperature until it’s pliable enough to shape. If the dough still seems crumbly, work it with your hands until the butter softens a bit more.
• Dough’s too soft: Refrigerate the dough until it’s firm but pliable.
• After baking, let them cool down a bit and roll them in powdered sugar. If they are too delicate still you can dust them instead.
•  I usually use unsalted butter to make this recipe. If you use salted butter, omit the pinch of salt.

Variations of Snowball Cookies to Try

• Switch out the walnuts for almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or some other nut.
• Toasted walnuts are best: Oven: Toast the nuts in the oven at 350 F 150 C for 7 minutes before grinding for extra flavor, allowing them to cool before adding to the dough. Stove: Roast the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 5 minutes.
• If using almonds,  you can add some almond extract for the vanilla extract.
• For gluten-free snowball cookies, use almond flour or a gluten-free baking mix.
• Add a little cinnamon to the powdered sugar before dusting

How to Store Snowball Cookies

Store snowball cookies for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature. Or, see the instructions above for freezing these cookies.

Wrap and Send Snowball Cookies as Gifts

Because these snowball cookies last up to 1 week at room temperature, they make a great cookie to send as gifts. Try to ship them as soon as possible after they are completely cool. Follow these tips.

Wrap cookies 2 x 2, with their bottoms touching, in plastic wrap.Buffer the cookies with packing materials. Want an earth-friendly option? Use plain popped popcorn! Make sure there’s no room in the box for sliding around to minimize any damage to the cookies.Pick the quickest shipping method possible.

Looking for more easy Christmas Cookies

• Almond Paste Cookies
• Cream Cheese Almond Cookies. 

Did you make and love this easy Walnut Snowball Cookies recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

5 from 1 vote

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Walnut Snowball Cookies

These Walnut snowball cookies are an all-time favorite Christmas cookie. Super easy to make and they melt in your mouth. Great for sending and gifting. 

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword walnut snowball cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 50

Calories 110 kcal

Ingredients

• 120 g flour cake flour / pastry flour tastes best
• 1 3/4 cups walnuts / 220 g - toasted, cooled and finely ground, preferably yourself -
• 1 stick butter - room temperature and soft 120 g
• 4 tbsps sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 tbsp icing sugar - to roll

Instructions

1. First, you preheat the oven to 325 F /  150 C
2. Then, if necessary, grind the walnuts yourself finely with a food processor.
3. Now you mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. So the flour, the finely ground walnuts, the pinch of salt, the cinnamon and sugar
4. Divide the very soft butter into small pieces and add to it.

5. Add the vanilla. Now mix all ingredients together with your hands or gloves until you get a homogeneous mass. Now you shape the dough into small balls the maximum size of a walnut and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper with a little space between them.

6. Put the walnut snowballs in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes.
7. After baking, let them cool down a bit and roll them in powdered sugar.

Recipe Notes

I usually use unsalted butter to make this recipe. If you use salted butter, omit the pinch of salt.