The Best Snowball Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do my snowball cookies go flat? ›

Snowball cookies should not flatten. Since they do not contain a leavening agent, the main factor to check is that the dough is chilled before baking.

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

Place the cookies on wire racks to cool completely. The confectioners' sugar will melt a bit and get sticky; that's ok. Once the cookies have completely cooled, roll in confectioners' sugar again. This is when the sugar will really stick.

Cookie baking temperature and time

Higher temperatures promote faster spread, while lower temperatures result in slower spread. Additionally, longer baking times can encourage more spread. Experiment with different temperatures and baking times to find the perfect balance for achieving your desired cookie.

If you use too much butter, the cookies will end up flat and greasy. And if you use too little flour, the amount of butter and sugar will be proportionally too high, meaning the cookies will spread for the aforementioned reasons.

As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).

You don't absolutely HAVE to use bread flour, but it adds a ton of chewy texture to these cookies that's worth the extra trip to the store. If you can't get bread flour, then use all AP flour in its place.

Flattening the cookie dough provides more surface area that comes into contact with the ice bath, shortening the time it takes to chill. Then submerge the dough in the ice water and let it chill. After 20 minutes the dough will be completely chilled and ready for baking.

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

Softened butter and melted butter are not the same. Using melted butter will change the texture of whatever you're baking. If you only want the butter to soften for spreading, microwave it on the Defrost setting (30%) in 5-second increments until it's softened as desired.

Is it better to roll sugar cookies on flour or powdered sugar? ›

I roll out my dough with powdered sugar

I find that rolling with flour adds too much flour to my recipe and makes it dry. I also use all of my dough, so I roll out a decent number of times (and you're adding more flour every time you roll). So, instead, I prefer to sprinkle powdered sugar.

Granulated sugar also helps tenderize batters and binds with water to keep baked goods moist. Powdered sugar in cookie dough will give you chewier cookies (if there's egg in the recipe). In shortbread-like cookies it gives you a cookie that's more dense b... Powdered sugar contains corn starch.

All levels of powdered sugar grind can be used interchangeably with each other in cookie recipes. But take note: powdered sugar is not to be substituted for granulated sugar or brown sugar, since the added cornstarch in powdered sugar changes cookie chemistry and texture.

Try using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder.

As they cool, the liquified sugars cool and harden, producing crisp bottoms and edges, and the air inside cools, causing the cookie to deflate slightly.

How Long Do Pecan Snowball Cookies Last? Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Freeze for up to three months for longer storage. Dust again before serving for the freshest presentation.