Description
Christmas Mice Snowball Cookies are buttery, crisp, nutty treats shaped like fluffy white mice, perfect for the holiday season. These nostalgic cookies feature a powdered sugar coating and a delicate texture that melts in your mouth, enhanced by toasted pecans and almond slice ears, with cherry licorice tails adding a whimsical touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Nut and Butter Mixture
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (270g)
- ¼ cup almond slices
For Finishing
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
- 30 pieces candy ropes (cherry licorice)
Instructions
- Preheat and Toast Pecans: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Place the pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until they smell toasty, being careful not to burn them. Let them cool completely, then crush or chop into small pieces.
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine softened butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Mix until creamy and scrape down the sides as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add Flour and Pecans: Add the all-purpose flour and cooled crushed pecans to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Shape Cookies: Using a cookie scoop, portion 1 ½ tablespoon dough balls. Roll each into a ball, then pinch one side to form a mouse nose shape. Press almond slices into the dough at the top for ears.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes until the cookies turn golden.
- Dust and Decorate: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, dust them generously with powdered sugar. Use a toothpick to create a small hole at the back for the tail. Insert candy rope pieces into the hole while cookies are hot to secure the tails.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. They will continue to crisp as they cool. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature unsalted butter for easier creaming and better texture.
- Toast pecans carefully and watch closely to avoid burning, which affects flavor.
- Crush pecans finely for even distribution and better cookie texture.
- Press almond slices gently to avoid breaking but firmly enough so they stay during baking.
- Insert candy rope tails while cookies are still warm to help secure them firmly.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain crispness for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg
