Chocolate Snowball Cookies (with ground almonds)
These chocolate almond cookies have a melt-in-your-mouth feel that makes them irresistible. A twist on the traditional and insanely popular holiday cookies, they have a deep chocolate flavor, can be made ahead and use few ingredients.
Servings 25 cookies
Calories 143kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup ground almonds toasted if you want to (see Notes below)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar extra, for coating the cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and ¼ cup powdered sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add ½ teaspoon almond extract and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add sifted ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 cup at a time and then ¾ cup ground almonds. Mix just until smooth and even in color.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, o until firm enough to form balls. It might take longer.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Line a baking or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll portions of cold dough between your palms to form balls. Place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are a bit golden, puffed and slightly cracked.
- Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Place the extra ¾ cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the cookies while still warm to coat completely. Let cool down completely on a wire rack.
- Store the baked cookies in airtight containers, tins or cookie jars for a few weeks
- These cookies freeze well unbaked. When you need them, just line them up on a parchment-lined or greased baking tray, thaw, and bake.
Notes
Toasting the nuts: lightly toasting the almonds adds a lot to the flavor of the cookie. But they're still great with natural almonds. To toast them: put whole almonds on a baking sheet and bake in a 300° to 325°F (150° to 165°C) oven for about 15 minutes, until the skin starts to crack and the aroma is nutty. Watch them closely so they don't burn. The time might vary depending on the oven.
Cocoa coating: I sometimes roll them in a mix of powdered sugar and cocoa powder. It makes them more intense and a tad more bitter, so it's not for everyone.
Nutrition
Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 227IU
