Description
Warm holiday memories come alive with gingerbread snowballs, a festive treat blending classic spices and sweet powdered sugar coating. Guests will savor these delicate cookies that melt in their mouth and bring comfort during cold winter celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g/8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups (279g/9.8 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ cup (57g/2 oz) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- Extra powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Creaming: Whip butter until light and fluffy using an electric mixer, then blend in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and molasses until smooth and uniform.
- Dough Formation: Fold in all-purpose flour gradually, mixing until a cohesive dough develops without overmixing.
- Shaping: Roll small portions of dough into uniform spheres, placing them on prepared baking sheets with adequate spacing.
- Baking: Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for golden edges that signal perfect doneness.
- Initial Coating: After a brief one-minute rest, gently roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to create a delicate frost-like finish.
- Cooling and Final Presentation: Transfer cookies to a wire rack, allowing complete cooling before applying a final, generous dusting of powdered sugar for an elegant, winter-inspired appearance.
Notes
- Butter Softening Tip: Ensure butter is at room temperature for optimal mixing and smooth dough consistency.
- Spice Balance: Adjust ground spices to personal taste, but maintain the recommended proportions for authentic gingerbread flavor.
- Dough Handling: Use light touch when rolling cookies to prevent dense, tough texture and maintain delicate, melt-in-your-mouth quality.
- Sugar Coating Technique: Roll cookies in powdered sugar while slightly warm for better sugar adhesion and a more elegant, frosted appearance.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 123
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 46mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1.2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg