Christmas Ball Cookies Recipes

PECAN BALLS (CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix ingredients together until well blended.
• Hand form into small balls.
• Bake at 300° up to 15 minutes. (These will not brown).
• While balls are still warm, roll into powdered sugar.

CHRISTMAS BALL COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 cup of the butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the salt with electric mixer on medium speed about2 minutes or until creamy. Beat in 1/4 teaspoon of the almond extract. On low speed, beat in flour just until combined. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Shape dough into 48 (3/4-inch) balls. Roll 16 balls in each color of sanding sugar, coating completely. On cookie sheets, place balls 1 inch apart.
• Bake 15 minutes or until set and bottoms are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. In small bowl, beat remaining 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. For each sandwich cookie, spread about 1/2 teaspoon filling on bottom of 1 cookie; top with second cookie, bottom side down, to form ball.

CHRISTMAS SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
• Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat until well blended.
• Stir in pecans.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.
• Bake in a 300° regular or convection oven until cookies are pale golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• If baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking.
• Let cookies stand on sheets until cool enough to handle.
• Place remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
• Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat all over; discard remaining sugar.
• Set cookies on racks to cool completely.

COOKIE BALL CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Steps:

• Grind the cookies in a food processor, then add the cream cheese and pulse until the mixture comes together. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Scoop the cookie mixture into 36 balls; form each into a bulb shape with your hands. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze 10 minutes.
• Melt the red candy melts in the microwave as the label directs. Remove 9 cookie bulbs from the freezer and insert a toothpick or skewer into the wide ends. Fill a small bowl with red sugar.
• Dip a bulb in the red candy melts, leaving just a small circle around the toothpick uncovered. Let the excess drip off.
• Working quickly, sprinkle red sugar over the whole bulb. Set on a clean parchment-lined baking sheet. Coat the other 8 bulbs with red candy melts and red sugar.
• Repeat with the other colors, making 9 bulbs in each color. Let all the bulbs set at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, then remove the toothpicks.
• Unwrap the Tootsie Rolls; cut them in half crosswise. Use a paring knife to create ridges in each piece to look like the base of a bulb.
• Using some melted candy melts, attach a Tootsie Roll half to the uncovered end of each bulb. Let dry for about 10 minutes.
• Brush the Tootsie Rolls with silver luster dust. Attach the bulbs to licorice laces with more melted candy melts, if desired.

ITALIAN BUTTERBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat together the butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Spread the 1/4 cup confectioners sugar on a plate; roll the cooled cookies in the confectioners' sugar to coat.