Peppermint Snowball Cookies

I've taken a classic holiday cookie and made it even more festive! These Peppermint Snowball Cookies are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies similar to Mexican wedding cookies and Russian tea cakes with white chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candy. The store really well and look beautiful on a holiday cookie platter. No one will be able to resist these little bites. If you love peppermint, check out my Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies and these Mint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Buttery shortbread - these are all about the butter and taste clean and simple.
• Melt in your mouth texture - these cookies have a tender texture with a delicate bite.
• Peppermint cookies - crushed candy cane pieces go right into the dough. The small pieces melt right in while the larger pieces stay intact as little chips and it's a burst of sweet minty flavor!
• Easy to make - this is a simple recipe with basic ingredients that you can make by hand without a mixer. It's an eggless recipe so you can make these beautiful cookies even if you have no eggs.
• Powdered sugar coating - similar to Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes, these cookies are rolled in powdered sugar while still warm and they get their name thanks to their snowy appearance.

INGREDIENTS FOR PEPPERMINT SNOWBALL COOKIES

• All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for classic shortbread cookies.
• Unsalted butter - this recipe uses pure unsalted butter for the best flavor and tender texture. You can also use salted butter and then reduce the added salt by half.
• Powdered sugar - you'll need powdered confectioners' sugar for both the cookie dough and for rolling. It makes the cookies incredibly tender so they just melt in your mouth.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is an excellent back note to mint. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Peppermint extract - this is where lots of the peppermint flavor comes.
• Milk - a little bit of milk adds a bit of moisture to make the dough softer so you can incorporate the peppermint and white chocolate easier. It also makes the dough easier to scoop and helps the dough balls spread just slightly to have soft domes.
• Peppermint candy - you can use peppermint candies or candy canes and crush them by placing them in a zip-top bag and using a rolling pin, heavy pan or mallet. You can use peppermint flavored chips.
• White chocolate - I love the creamy sweet pockets of melted white chocolate. It carries the peppermint flavor so nicely.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR PEPPERMINT SNOWBALL COOKIES

• STEP 1). Combine butter and sugar. Combine soft butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and salt in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer (or mixing by hand with a wide rubber spatula) or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed until very smooth, pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• STEP 2). Add liquid. Add milk and mix until well incorporated and the mixture looks smooth, silky and glossy.
• STEP 3). Add dry ingredients. Add flour and mix on low speed until it starts to absorb and a dough starts to form. First it will look a bit dry and crumbly and then slowly it will come together. Before it is completely incorporated, add crushed candy cane and mini white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate and mix it in until the dough is smooth.
• STEP 4). Chill. Cover the bowl tightly and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.
• STEP 5). Bake. Scoop up heaped tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into smooth balls in your hands. You should get 13-15 cookies. Place dough balls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown on the bottom edges and just barely browned on top. They wont get too much color on top.
• STEP 6). Roll in powdered sugar. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack and let cookies to cool for 15-20 minutes on the trays, then very gently roll them in the powdered sugar to coat completely. The powdered sugar will melt a bit and get sticky on the outside of the cookies. Place the cookies on wire racks to cool completely, then roll in powdered sugar again so they are nicely coated.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use room temperature ingredients. Ensure that the butter and milk are at room temperature so that they blend evenly and don't separate. This step combines fat and water which are two ingredients that don't blend easily together when cold.
• Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will remove lumps if the flour has been sitting around for a while and will create a more tender texture as it separates the flour particles so they get more evenly coated with the butter.
• Chill the cookie dough. Time in the fridge allows the flour to fully hydrate and for the butter to firm up to help the dough roll smoothly into balls and also allows the cookies to hold their shape.
• Roll in powdered sugar twice. The first time you roll them, some of the powdered sugar will melt and dissolve, and after the second time it will adhere more heavily.

RECIPE FAQ

STORAGE AND FREEZING

Gimme all the cookies!

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