The snowball walnut cookies are fine and delicate pastries with butter and walnuts, perfect for afternoon tea and for a delightful gift at Christmas.
The recipe is very simple; you’ll just need a whisk and a bowl to make a fine shortcrust rich in butter and nuts without eggs.
The Christmas cookies are one of the best gifts you can give to your loved ones. Just add a panone or a panforte made at home, and your Christmas cookie box will be a perfect gift.
The traditional recipe for these cookies does not include the use of eggs and baking powder, but they are so rich in butter, sugar, and walnuts that they melt in your mouth. In the United States, they often use toasted pecans; personally, I prefer walnuts or almonds as I find them more pleasant.
Here are some recipes perfect to gift at Christmas along with the walnut snowballs:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 18 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
- Energy 123.51 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.57 (g) of which sugars 7.34 (g)
- Proteins 1.31 (g)
- Fat 7.24 (g) of which saturated 3.55 (g)of which unsaturated 1.93 (g)
- Fibers 0.29 (g)
- Sodium 24.04 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 25 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar with vanilla
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar with vanilla (for finishing)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Electric whisk
Procedure
Take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before using it and let it come to room temperature or soften it in the microwave.
Chop the walnuts with a knife; you should get fine crumbs, and if there are a few larger pieces, the cookies will be even better.
Put the butter in the bowl with 1/3 cup of powdered sugar and whip it with the whisk until you get a light and frothy mixture.
Keep whipping the mixture, adding the vanilla extract, salt, and flour in three parts. Incorporate the chopped walnuts.
The dough is ready. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour.
After resting, form 20 g balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With this amount, you will get 18 small cookies.
Put the baking sheet in the fridge until the oven reaches temperature
Bake the cookies in a preheated static oven at 338°F (170°C) for 13-15 minutes; they should remain light in color.
Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the cookies cool for 7-8 minutes, then roll them in powdered sugar; they will become slightly sticky, which is normal.
Transfer them to a rack and let them cool completely, then roll them again in powdered sugar.
The snowball walnut cookies are ready to enjoy.
Advice
Storage
The snowball walnut cookies keep for a week in a tin box.
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