Walnut Eggnog Snowballs Recipes

CHOCOLATE WALNUT SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Finely chop 1/2 cup of the walnuts and set aside. Process the remaining 3/4 cup walnuts with 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor until very finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the butter and vanilla and process until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and process until most of the dough forms a ball and is completely combined. Scrape the dough into a bowl with a rubber spatula and fold in the chocolate chips and reserved chopped walnuts.
• Roll mounded teaspoons of the dough into 1-inch balls and space evenly apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until cracked on top and mostly firm but still slightly springy when pressed, about 18 minutes (they will firm up out of the oven). Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes; you want them to be slightly warm for the first tossing in sugar.
• Meanwhile, put the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Toss the warm cookies very gently in the sugar until evenly coated. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes, then toss again in the sugar so they are very white. The cookies will keep in a little bit of extra sugar in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

COCONUT SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• Whisk the rice flour and coconut in a small bowl. Beat the butter, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, the salt and vanilla seeds in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, then beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is no longer sticky, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and arrange 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies until set and lightly browned on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
• Put the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Gently roll the warm cookies in the confectioners' sugar and return to the baking sheet. Reroll the cookies in the confectioners' sugar, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

WALNUT SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons flour mixture to processor; add walnuts. Process until walnuts are finely chopped.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until well blended. Add egg yolk, brandy, and vanilla and beat to blend. Beat in flour mixture. Add walnut mixture; stir with spatula to blend. Using 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie, shape dough into balls; arrange on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
• Bake cookies 12 minutes. Reverse sheets. Bake cookies until brown on bottom, cracked on top and just beginning to color, about 12 minutes longer. Sift remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar thickly over hot cookies and cool on sheets. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)