Shari’s Recipe For Snowball Cookies

Shari’s Recipe For Snowball Cookies

It really isn’t Christmas if this specific cookie isn’t on the table. For as long as I can remember my mom and I have made Swedish Snowball Cookies (aka: Russian Tea Cakes) (aka: Mexican Wedding Cakes) together. Yes, this cookie has that many names and to be honest, there are probably more! I called my mom to get her Betty Crocker version of this recipe because (in typical mom fashion) she has altered the recipe, well… let’s be real here, she has altered almost every recipe you can think of. I NEEDED her version of this classic cookie! So here you go! Enjoy the sweet powdered sugar, melt-in-your-mouth, first to get devoured, delicious cookie of my childhood. 

**Bonus, I typed the directions nearly word-for-word straight from the pro herself, my mom.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup room temp butter (or put in microwave until not fully melted)
  • ⅔ cup powdered sugar (rather than 1/2 cup that the Betty Crocker cookbook calls for) 
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla (or do half vanilla & half almond extract to make it more Scandinavian – optional)
  • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Instructions

Mix above ingredients well (we use a kitchen aid or handheld mixer)

Roll into 1 inch balls 

Bake 10-12 mins at 375 degrees (this helps it cook all the way through) check after 8 mins because you only want the cookies lightly browned. Oven temps vary!

Let cool on a cookie rack for 5 mins, then roll in powdered sugar. You want the cookies to still be slightly warm so the powdered sugar sticks better on the first roll.

Once cooled more, roll in powdered sugar for a second time. These cookies actually taste better a few days later (which is impressive) and they freeze really well!

Enjoy! And pro-tip, whatever you do – don’t inhale the powdered sugar. 

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Kendall’s Recipe For Sugar Cookies

Kendall’s Recipe For Sugar Cookies

‘Tis the season to be jolly and eat lots of carbs and sugar too! But really… but really what? You know it’s true! Sugar cookies and winter holidays go together like peanut butter and jelly. I am not a great baker… I am passable. I am great at following directions to prepare and bake cookies but lack the imagination to frost them in a pretty way. As long as there is a cookie and some frosting, you bet I’ll eat it! I could care less about what it looks like. My palette isn’t that discerning when cookies are involved. Did you know that “cookie” was my first word? That should have been a sign of some sort. 

Anyways, my neighbor, we’ll call her Josephine March (not her real name because you know… privacy and crazy cookie stalkers may read this) makes THE BEST cookies I have ever had. AND they are pretty. It’s enough to make me super jealous but not enough to stop me from eating any treats that she may share with me. I recently asked her for one of her yummy recipes and not only was I pleasantly surprised by the source of her recipe but by the easy instructions and prep- even an amateur baker like me couldn’t mess this up too much! Her super soft sugar cookie recipe is from none other than the critically acclaimed novel, “Clifford Wants A Cookie.”

Without further ado, here is the recipe…

Clifford’s Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup of sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions

Cream your butter and sugar mixture until fluffy and, well, creamy. Add your egg and vanilla and mix until well integrated (about another 2 minutes). Add the flour and salt until well blended. Form the dough into a big ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours… yes, 3 hours. Don’t take any shortcuts. After the 3 hours, roll out the dough on a nicely floured surface and shape with your favorite cookie cutters. Or, if you are like me, don’t roll and shape them on a nicely floured surface but instead, take the dough from the fridge and pull apart to make littler balls about an inch (or a little more) in width and bake them as drop cookies. Bake at 350 F for 9-11 minutes. The bottoms should be just turning brown. When you take them out, they may seem a little fluffy and this is ok! They will settle as they cool. Let them rest for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let them cool before frosting… Finally, frost to your heart’s desire. I make my frosting (that’s about as fancy as I get) or buy your favorite brand from your local grocery store’s baking aisle. 

Make a plate for yourselves, settle in with a good movie, a snuggly blanket, and enjoy yourself. Be safe this week. Make good decisions and to those of you that celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas to you and yours.