Pecan Snowball Cookies are sometimes called Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and Italian Butter Cookies. These shortbread cookie balls are popular throughout a multitude of cultures and you’re bound to find them on a cookie tray throughout the holiday season. Another popular variety is to turn these pecan cookies into Pecan Fingers but I like to add chocolate to the traditional snowball recipe and serve it on a cookie platter throughout the winter season.
Chocolate Snowball cookies have been around for a long time. Growing up in the 90’s, my grandparents always made these Russian Tea Cakes for the holiday season. I usually preferred holiday sugar cookies loaded with sprinkles over this easy snowball cookie recipe but as an adult I now adore snowballs.
We’re just a few weeks away from Christmas and my kitchen is already filled with Christmas cookies! I noticed that chocolate was lacking and thought I’d whip up a quick batch of these chocolate snowballs to add to my cookie spread. Of course, if you’ve made my Chocolate Crinkle Cookie recipe, then you know I like to add maple flavoring to my chocolate cookie batter. It smells heavenly and adds a warm flavor to the chocolate shortbread. Last week I made Hot Chocolate Cupcakes and they were such a hit that I wanted to continue baking with chocolate.
Snowball cookies are one of the most popular holiday cookies. We make them year after year. Starting in late November, mom would start baking cookie for Christmas parties. We always made traditional vanilla Pecan Snowballs along with Peanut Butter Blossoms, Crinkle Cookies, Whipped Shortbread Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Marachino Shortbread Cookies.
Pecan Chocolate Snowballs deserve a spot on the Christmas cookie tray. I even love to dip them into coffee for a late night holiday snack. If you’re feeling nostalgic during the holiday season, bake a batch of these and pass them out at a holiday office party or cookie exchange with friends.
Chocolate Snowballs are a showstopper. It doesn’t get much easier than an 8 ingredient Christmas cookie recipe. If you’re looking to put a spin on a classic holiday cookie recipe, then you’ll love these Chocolate Snowballs. The added maple extract and instant coffee powder add a rich, decadent flavor that can’t be beaten. Our family loves these in addition to Pecan Snowballs.
It’s the start of the holiday season and now is the best time to make a list of Christmas cookies and desserts to make for family parties. What holiday baking traditions does your family take part in?
Chocolate Snowballs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Pecans, finely chopped ( about 1 cup finely chopped )
- 1 cup ( 2 sticks ) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered confectioners' sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant ground coffee powder, optional to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons maple extract or flavoring
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups powdered confectioners' sugar, to dust
Instructions
- Place pecans in a food processor or small chopper. Grind until no big chunks remain; set aside.In a bowl fit with a mixer, beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes.Beat in cocoa powder, instant coffee powder, salt, and maple extract.Slowly beat in flour, 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated.Slowly beat in chopped pecans and mix just until incorporated.Refrigerate dough 30 minutes. This will make the dough easier to work with.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.Use a cookie scoop to scoop dough. I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, but you may also use a 1 tablespoon spoon ( you'll have more cookies! ) If the dough is sticky, dip it in a bowl of powdered sugar between each scoop.Roll dough between hands to create a ball. Place on baking sheet spaced about 1 inch apart. If dough is crumbly, simply roll between hands until soft before shaping it into a ball. Bake in oven 15-18 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes.In a large bowl, add 1 1/2 cups powdered confectioners' sugar.Coat each ball with powdered sugar. Transfer to cooling rack. Repeat coating step again after completely cooled.Store in an air-tight container.
Nutritional information is only an estimate and it's accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.
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