One of the first things I did Thursday morning was bake a batch of snowball cookies to include in my boxes of gifts that were traveling to faraway places (other states).  These are probably one of the two kinds of cookies that I make almost every year.  I grew up with these cookies, my mom made them at Christmas.  I have no idea where the recipe came from originally.

I thought that I would share this recipe with you.  I’ve added my own little additions and notes which I’ll include in the recipe too.

Since typing this recipe (you can tell how old this recipe is… who types anymore?),  I have had to cut it in half.  My Kitchenaid mixer (it’s the basic, or smallest model) doesn’t handle the full recipe, so if you have a larger mixer you can double my recipe that I’m giving you, so it would then be the size that my mom always made in her Sunbeam mixer from the very early 60s.  When the flour is added, the dough is very dry (like Play-Doh) and then you still need to mix in the chocolate chips, so that is why you need a “roomy” bowl.

Oops, an extra egg jumped in my photo; you only need one.

Snowball Cookies

2-1/8 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips

powdered sugar (for rolling the baked cookies in)

Instructions

-Sift together the flour and salt in a separate bowl, set aside.

-Blend butter and sugar until creamy, add vanilla and egg, mix well again.

-Add in flour mixture and mix just until incorporated, then add chocolate chips and mix again, don’t over mix after adding in flour and chocolate.

I use a 1-1/4″ scoop to measure out each cookie, then shape it with my hands.  I put the shaped cookies in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes, this keeps them from spreading too much in the oven.  Bake at 300º for 25 minutes.  After baking, let them cool for a bit (10-20 minutes).  While still warm, roll in powdered sugar.  This makes them look all snowy.  Make sure that they are COMPLETELY cool before packing them away (the powdered sugar needs to dry or will remain sticky).

I have also made these with a 1-5/8″ scoop and baked at 350º for 17-20 minutes, but I like the smaller cookies.  (I’m not sure why I lowered the temperature for the smaller cookies.  I have the Mrs. Field’s Cookie book and she uses 300º, so I am guessing that is why I did that.  All that really matters is that it works fine at 300º, feel free to do your own experimentation.)

This is what the cookies look like before rolling around in the powdered sugar.  The cookies are much happier afterwards.  Ha ha.

Don’t forget to “test” a cookie afterwards.  You need to make sure that they are indeed delicious before gifting them to others or serving to your guests.  Mine were!

Hope you enjoy this week of anticipation before Christmas and that it is relaxing and memorable for you.  Thank you for reading!  Bye for now!