Snowball cookies are technically called Mexican wedding cakes or Russian teacakes, but my grandmother gave up on us calling them that years ago! With a rich, nutty flavor from finely chopped pecans and a sweet, powdery coating from confectioners' sugar, these tiny, buttery treats are truly the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth morsels.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter: 1 cup (softened)
- powdered sugar: 0.5 cup
- vanilla extract: 1 tsp
- ¼ cups all-purpose flour: 2 piece
- very finely chopped pecans: 1 cup
- salt: 0.25 tsp
- powdered sugar: 0.33333 cup (or more if needed)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
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Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually mix in flour, pecans, and salt until completely incorporated. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
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Bake in the preheated oven until bottoms are light golden brown but tops are still pale, 12 to 15 minutes. (Try not to let cookies get too brown: it's better to undercook them than to overcook them.)
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Remove cookies from the oven and let sit on the baking sheets briefly before removing to wire racks.
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Place 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl; roll hot cookies in sugar to coat, then return to the wire racks to cool. Once cooled, roll cookies in the powdered sugar once more.
