These cookies are great for cookie exchanges because they freeze very well and also last at least two weeks in an airtight tin on the counter, making them a good shipping option too.
My Chocolate Snowballs
Makes 24 Cookies
1 cup (250 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (125 mL) icing (confectioner's) sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 tsp (5 mL) almond extract
1 cup (250 mL) ground blanched almonds
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
24 small milk chocolate balls (the ones wrapped in foil work perfectly for this, unwrapped of course)
3/4 (175 mL) cup icing sugar
2 tbsp (1 small jar) edible glitter (available at cake decorating stores)
In a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, cream butter and add in the 1/2 cup of icing sugar. Mix well until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla and almond extracts, ground almonds and flour. Continue beating until a soft dough comes together. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set in fridge for 1/2 an hour. Once the dough has chilled, divide into 24 equal portions, rolling each portion into a ball. Using your thumb, make a hole to insert the chocolate ball. Squeeze the hole closed and roll again so that you have a ball, which should be close to the size of a donut hole or a golf ball. Continue with the remaining dough, placing balls on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the bottoms are just golden brown.
While the cookies are baking, mix the 3/4 cup of icing sugar and the edible glitter in a pie plate. Once the cookies have been out of the oven for five minutes, roll each cookie in the sugar and place on a cooling rack. Once the cookies are cooled, roll them in the sugar again. These cookies freeze great, and can be stored in an air-tight container on the counter for at least a week.
What cookies do you make strictly for the Holiday season? Do you host a Holiday Cookie Exchanges? If so, do you do any fun things that make yours stand out from the rest?
These will be my new christmas cookie this year! They look delish and the chocolate sold me. Not sure if I can get the glitter locally.
ReplyDeleteThey are still great without :) Could try some coarse sugar mixed in with the icing sugar, but haven't tried it, so can't speak to the crunch factor.
ReplyDeleteyummy looking cookies looks wonderful
ReplyDeleteYummy! Anything chocolate is great! LOL We like making peppermint fudge. Not that it's a cookie, but it's one of the favorite treats we like to make for the holidays! Stopping by from Sit and Relax hop!
ReplyDeleteMmm! Peppermint fudge :) I never used to be a mint person, but over the past few years I've come to love it, especially with chocolate.
ReplyDeleteThese look absolutely delicious! We posted them on our Facebook page:
ReplyDeletewww.facebook.com/redpathsugar
We love your blog! :)
I have never had a "snowball" cookie as you call it.. The chocolate filling got me excited too :)
ReplyDeleteThey are sooooo good :) They are similar to a shortbread in texture but the nuts add so much, not to mention the chocolate!
ReplyDeleteI just bought that same tin "and" napkins! Woah.
ReplyDeleteMoving along ... I came here through your granola post on photograzing. Nice blog. :)
Hey Heather, your Snowball recipe has been selected by Knapkins in our Recipe Guessing Game. Invite fans to play: http://knapkins.com/guess_games/723?source=blog
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that's allergic to nuts. I will use imitation almond flavoring, but can I sub another ingredient, like flour or bread crumbs, without forsaking the texture? Also, if I'm able to do that, would I need to add more almond flavoring?
ReplyDeleteNuts are a big part of this recipe... so I wouldn't just leave them out. However, you could do the same thing with a shortbread dough, but they might not stay as round? If any of my readers have tried this, let us know :)
ReplyDeleteGeez, these look good. I will be participating in a cookie exchange this year, so I'm adding this one to my list. I will also be making something cinnamon-y, some of your chocolate slice and bake, and some of my brownies. I'll follow you to see what else you come up with. Oh, I've already made a batch of pecan pie bars to exchange, I almost forgot about them!
ReplyDeleteJust made these again....a new addition to my Christmas must haves. So good.
ReplyDeleteWe might have to make these this weekend!
ReplyDelete