Snowdrop cookies are a must in your Christmas cookie repertoire. These snowdrops are a buttery cookie enriched with ground pecans. Many cookies out there are similar to these, and all the variations are popular during the holidays.
Snowdrop Cookies
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 36 cookies
2/3 cup pecan halves
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cup confectioners' sugar (approximately) for the coating
Place the pecans, confectioners' sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor that’s been fitted with a metal blade. Pulse on and off to break up the nuts, then process until the nuts are finely ground.
You might know confectioners' sugar as powdered sugar.
Add the butter a few pieces at a time, pulsing on and off to incorporate, then run the machine until the mixture is smooth.
Add flour and pulse the machine on and off until the mixture is blended, scraping the dough down once or twice. Process until the dough begins to form a ball. Scrape the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, form it into a ball, cover with wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or until the dough is firm enough to roll.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
A jelly roll pan is like a cookie sheet, only it has sides that are about an inch high. When you make recipes such as this one, where the cookies could roll off as you place the sheet in the oven, you will see why it helps to use a jelly roll pan.
Roll the dough with lightly floured hands into 1-inch balls and place the balls 2 inches apart on the pans.
Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until they’re light golden brown on the bottoms and around the edges. For even baking, rotate the sheet pans once halfway through baking. Place the pan on a rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
Place the cookies on a sheet pan and sift a heavy coating of confectioners' sugar over the cookies.
Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze for one month. After storing, the confectioners' sugar may have worn off. Feel free to give the cookies another powdery coat before serving.