almond snowball cookies

Let it snow! Or maybe we shouldn’t say that too loudly here in the very snowy state of Michigan! Our headquarters are close to the Lake and the lake effect snow is always in full swing here. Baking a batch of our almond snowball cookies is the perfect way to bring the snow indoors.

Many cultures have versions of the classic snowball cookie: Russian tea cakes, Armenian sugar cookies, Viennese crescents and Mexican wedding cookies are just a few of the variations. What they all have in common is lots of butter, ground nuts and gobs of powdered sugar. The result is a light and buttery cookie perfect for the snowiest of days.

While these cookies are delicious made in the traditional way, the addition of Beanilla vanilla bean paste and our almond extract makes them extra special. Our Beanilla vanilla bean paste is a proprietary blend of vanilla beans making a rich and thick paste. The vanilla bean specks visible throughout the paste gives these cookies and any of your own creations a decidedly gourmet taste and look.

Our almond extract is just a special and adds a delightful almond flavor to the cookies. Sweet and full of the smell of fresh roasted almonds, our extract is sure to delight!

Almond Snowball Cookies

Yields approximately 24 snowballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ tsp. Beanilla vanilla bean paste
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
  • 1 cup powdered sugar for outside of cookies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
Beat butter and 1 cup powdered sugar at low speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in almond extract and vanilla bean paste. Add flour and ground almonds gradually, beating until well blended. Chill 15 minutes.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until light golden brown on bottom. Let stand on baking sheet 2 minutes.
Roll warm cookies in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, coating well. Let cool completely.