Chopped walnuts, ground cardamom, vanilla extract, orange zest, and a rich dusting of confectioners’ sugar create tasty snowball cookies.
Walnut-Cardamom Snowball Cookies
Serves: 60 cookies
Yield: 60 cookies • Preparation: 30 minutes • Bake: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups salted butter, softened
- 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¹⁄8 teaspoon orange extract
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar at a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla extract and orange extract, beating to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, orange zest, cardamom, and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating at low to medium speed. Add walnuts, beating at low speed to combine.
- Using a levered 1-tablespoon scoop, portion dough and roll into balls. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until edges of cookies are light golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Place remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll warm cookies in it. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: Cookies can be baked a week in advance and frozen in an airtight container. Sift additional confectioners, sugar over cookies just before serving.
From TeaTime January/February 2014
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