Description
Delight in these festive Peppermint Snowball Cookies, featuring a buttery, tender texture infused with peppermint and vanilla, studded with mini chocolate chips, and coated in crushed peppermint candies and powdered sugar for a perfect holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 3 cups powdered sugar, divided (2 cups and 1 cup)
- ¼ cup finely crushed peppermint candies
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1 tsp pure peppermint extract
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 5-6 drops hot pink/rose food color gel
Add-ins
- 1¼ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside to combine thoroughly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and continue beating for 1 to 1½ minutes until creamy.
- Add Extracts: Lower the mixer speed to medium-low and mix in the pure peppermint extract and pure vanilla extract evenly.
- Incorporate Dry Mixture: Keeping the mixer on medium-low speed, add the flour and cornstarch mixture gradually, mixing just until well combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Add Food Coloring: Increase the mixer speed to medium and add 5-6 drops of hot pink or rose food color gel. Mix until the dough has a uniform pink color.
- Mix in Chocolate Chips: Fold in 1¼ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up slightly.
- Prepare Baking Sheets and Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set one aside for baking the cookie dough balls, and one for cooling and rolling the finished cookies.
- Form and Bake Cookies: Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough. Roll each portion into a ball and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set but not browned.
- Prepare Peppermint Sugar Coating: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and the finely crushed peppermint candies. Set this peppermint sugar mixture aside.
- First Coating: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Roll each warm cookie in the peppermint sugar mixture until fully coated, then transfer to the second prepared baking sheet to cool completely.
- Second Coating: Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll them again in the peppermint sugar mixture for a double coating and a snowy finish.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Tip: Ensure butter is softened but not melted to prevent cookies from spreading too much while baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
