Description
Melt-in-your-mouth pecan snowball cookies bring winter magic to classic holiday treats. Sweet Mexican wedding cookie traditions inspire these powdery white spheres that dance with nutty richness you’ll savor in each delicate bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Sweeteners and Flavoring:
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1–2 cups confectioners’ sugar (for coating)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Seasoning:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350°F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter with confectioners’ sugar and both extracts until smooth and airy, approximately 3-5 minutes using an electric mixer.
- Gradually incorporate flour and salt into the butter mixture, mixing until a cohesive dough forms.
- Gently fold chopped pecans throughout the dough, ensuring even distribution.
- Shape the dough into uniform 1-inch spheres, positioning them with slight separation on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for delicate golden edges and pale bottoms, while preventing excessive browning.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for 3-4 minutes to stabilize their structure.
- Carefully transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack, then immediately coat with a generous layer of confectioners’ sugar while still warm.
- Once completely cooled, dust the cookies with a second layer of confectioners’ sugar for a pristine, snow-like finish.
Notes
- Swap pecans with other nuts like almonds or walnuts for a different flavor profile and texture.
- For gluten-free version, replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend, ensuring the mix contains xanthan gum for better binding.
- Ensure butter is softened but not melted to achieve the perfect cookie consistency and prevent spreading during baking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, separating layers with parchment paper to maintain their delicate powdered sugar coating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg