Almond Shortbread Snowballs Recipes

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter, vanilla, almond flavoring and sugar.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to combine. It will look crumbly at first, but keep mixing until it comes together in a thick dough. Mix in walnuts.
• Shape dough into balls (about the size of golf balls). Place about 1 inch apart on parchment or silicone-lined baking sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until set and firm to the touch (but not browned). Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes, then roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Once cool, roll the cookies in powdered sugar again.

ALMOND SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Blend and pulse the 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor with the sugar until mixture resembles coarse sand. (If there are a couple small chunks of nuts that is fine.) Add the butter, vanilla and almond extracts, and the salt, and pulse until creamy. Add the flour and continue to pulse to make a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan and spread it out evenly with an off-set spatula. Dip the spatula in a little warm water to help smooth and even the surface of the shortbread. Cover and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and dock (prick) the dough all over with a fork. Generously sprinkle the top of the shortbread with sugar. Toss the remaining whole almonds in the egg white; evenly arrange and press the nuts into the dough around the edge of the pan. Bake until golden brown and set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool the short bread in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the tart ring and cut the shortbread with a sharp knife into wedges, each with a nut. Cool shortbreads on a rack completely. (Alternatively present the shortbread as 1 large cookie. Cool the shortbread in the pan completely and remove the tart ring. Cut the shortbread into wedges as desired.) Serve. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter with 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour until smooth and well combined. Divide dough into 2 parts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• On lightly sugared surface, roll out dough, one part at a time, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon.
• Bake in preheated oven until cookies are light golden brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. While still warm, roll in sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.

ALMOND SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse the almonds and sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Add the butter and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the dough off the inside of the bowl, if needed. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and pulse to combine. Add the flour and salt and pulse to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of waxed paper and roll into a log about 15 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the chilled dough into 1/2-inch pieces and roll by hand into balls. Space the cookies evenly on the prepared baking sheets and bake until slightly golden, rotating the sheets once, 15 to 20 minutes. Put the confectioners' sugar in a pie plate. Briefly cool the cookies on a rack, then gently toss in the confectioners' sugar until evenly coated. Return to rack, cool to room temperature, and then toss again in the confectioners' sugar.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350. Bake almonds in a single layer in shallow pan 6 minutes or til toasted and fragrant, stir once half way through. Cool completely. Reduce oven to 325.
• 2. Process almonds in food processor until finely ground. About 30 seconds.
• 3. Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add vanilla and 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat well. Dough should be crumbly but if it's not, don't worry about it. It's likely due to your altitude and will be crumbly after the next step.
• 4. Combine flour, salt and almonds: gradually add to butter mixture. Beating until well blended. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• 5. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks. Cool 10 minutes more and roll in 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

SHORTBREAD SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• 1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
• 2. Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and pecans on high for 1 - 2 min. (until smooth)
• 3. roll mixture into 1 inch diameter balls. Place onto non-greased cookie sheet .5 - 1 inch apart
• 4. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, cool
• 5. toss cookies in confectoners' sugar. serve warm or room temperature

HERSHEY'S KISS SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, powdered sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy; about 4 minutes.
• Beat in vanilla extract, and salt, wiping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as you go.
• With mixer on low, slowly add flour until incorporated.
• Mix in ground pecans. Turn mixer to high for 2-3 seconds to fully incorporate.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop 1½ tbsp cookie dough. Split the ball in half and add a chocolate kiss to the center.
• Roll the dough between the hands until smooth.
• Place 1½ inches apart on cookie sheet.
• Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes.
• Transfer to rack once cool.
• Roll balls in powdered sugar.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4)
• Mix Flour and Caster Sugar in a bowl
• Rub in the Butter/Margarine until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
• Add the Ground Almond
• Press mixture into a baking tray
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and very lightly brown
• Cool in the tin

CHERRY SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes.
• Mix in salt, almond extract, vanilla extract, and cherry extract (if using)
• Drain cherry juice. Chop cherries. Remove as much of the liquid as possible with paper towels. Add to bowl and mix.
• Mix in finely ground pecans.
• Slowly beat in flour, ½ cup at a time until incorporated. Anywhere from 3½-4½ cups. See tip below.TIP: Based on how much cherry juice is added to the cookie batter, the consistency of the dough may change. To fix this, simply add more flour or add a splash of milk is too much flour is added.
• Slowly mix in or stir in chocolate chips.
• Refrigerate dough 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will make the dough easier to work with.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop 1½ tbsp dough and roll into a round ball. TIP: If using a cookie scoop and the dough is sticky, dip it in a bowl of powdered sugar between each scoop.
• Place on baking sheet spaced 1-inch apart.
• Bake in oven 15-17 minutes.
• Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• Roll cookies in powdered sugar.TIP: I coat mine a second time after they have completely cooled.
• Store in an air-tight container.