Description
Festive peppermint snowball cookies bring winter magic to classic shortbread with crushed candy cane sparkle. Sweet, buttery rounds melt in your mouth, offering comfort and cheer during holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (75 g) finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
Sweeteners and Flavoring:
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Seasoning:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Warm your kitchen oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, ensuring a clean and ready workspace for your festive treats.
- Using an electric mixer, whip softened butter with powdered sugar until the mixture becomes airy and smooth. Introduce vanilla and peppermint extracts, blending them thoroughly to create a fragrant base.
- In a separate mixing vessel, combine flour and salt, whisking to eliminate any potential lumps. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, gently folding until a cohesive dough emerges. Fold in crushed peppermint candies, distributing them evenly throughout the mixture.
- Delicately form the dough into small spherical shapes, approximately one tablespoon in size. Arrange these tender orbs on the prepared baking sheet, positioning them with slight separation to allow for potential expansion.
- Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven, allowing the cookies to transform for 10-12 minutes. Watch for a subtle golden hue developing along the bottom edges, indicating perfect doneness. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a brief five-minute cooling period.
- Transfer the delicate cookies to a wire cooling rack, permitting them to reach room temperature. Once completely cooled, tenderly enrobe each cookie in a generous coating of powdered sugar. For an extra festive touch, mix finely pulverized peppermint candies into the powdered sugar before the final rolling process.
Notes
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before shaping to prevent spreading and maintain a perfect round cookie shape.
- Use room temperature butter for smoother mixing and better cookie texture, ensuring it’s soft but not melted.
- Crush peppermint candies finely to distribute flavor evenly and create a consistent texture throughout the cookies.
- For gluten-free options, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to accommodate dietary restrictions without compromising taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 134
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 53 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg