Description
As the holiday season approaches, or anytime you crave a sweet treat that combines fruitiness with festive flair, Strawberry Snowball Cookies are a delightful choice. These cookies, with their melt-in-your-mouth texture and bursts of strawberry flavor, are perfect for cookie exchanges, family gatherings, or as a decadent treat to enjoy with your afternoon tea. The following detailed guide will walk you through making these exquisite cookies, including tips for perfecting your batch, variations to customize to your taste, and advice on how to store them for lasting freshness.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
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- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
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- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
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- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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- 2 cups all-purpose flour
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- 1/4 teaspoon salt
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- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed into fine crumbs
For Rolling:
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- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure your cookies do not stick.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. This step is crucial as it helps create the cookie’s signature light texture.
- Add Flavors: Mix in the vanilla extract, blending thoroughly to distribute the flavor evenly through the butter mixture.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a different bowl, blend the all-purpose flour and salt together using a whisk. This ensures that the salt is evenly distributed throughout the flour, which will help enhance the flavors in your cookies.
- Incorporate Strawberries: Gently stir in the freeze-dried strawberry crumbs into the flour mixture, ensuring they are evenly mixed to infuse every cookie with strawberry goodness.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, stirring until they are just blended. It’s important to mix gently to avoid overworking the dough, which can lead to tough cookies.
- Shape the Cookies: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. They do not spread much, so you can place them relatively close together.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake in the preheated oven for 14-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden. They should remain mostly pale on top and not brown.
- Roll in Sugar: Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes, then while still warm, roll them in the additional 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before giving them a second sugar coat.
Notes
- Comprehensive Instructions: The article provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for making Strawberry Snowball Cookies, ensuring that both novice and experienced bakers can follow along easily. It covers everything from mixing the dough to baking and serving, making the baking process straightforward and enjoyable.
- Variety of Tips and Variations: The article includes a section on helpful tips to perfect the cookies, such as how to prevent overmixing and ensuring ingredients are at room temperature. It also offers creative variations like adding chocolate chips or lemon zest to cater to different tastes and occasions, enhancing the versatility of the recipe.
- Storage and Conservation: Emphasis on proper storage and conservation methods is a key feature of the article, providing guidance on how to keep the cookies fresh for longer periods. This includes tips for storing the cookies at room temperature, refrigerating, or freezing them, which is particularly useful for those looking to make large batches ahead of time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: Strawberry Snowball Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Dessert