Pink Snowball Puffs Recipes

KIDS CAN MAKE: PUFFED RICE SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• Spray a large metal mixing bowl with cooking spray and set aside.
• Cook the marshmallows, butter, agave and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows are completely melted and the mixture is blended, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the puffed rice and stir to coat with the marshmallow-butter mixture.
• Transfer the rice mixture to the prepared bowl and sprinkle with the apricots, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds. Stir with a wooden spoon or hands lightly coated with cooking spray. Form into 8 logs or balls (about 1/2 cup each). Let cool about 30 minutes, then wrap tightly in parchment or plastic wrap.

GRANDMA MINECCI'S SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat shortening, butter, and white sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Sift flour and salt into creamed butter mixture and stir just until dough is combined; fold in pecans. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool cookies slightly and roll in confectioners' sugar. Cool cookies completely and roll again in confectioners' sugar.

PINK PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan, heat until the butter has melted, and bring to a rolling boil.
• Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture smoothes out and follows the spoon around the pan; this should take less than 30 seconds.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. It'll still feel hot, but you should be able to hold a finger in it for a few seconds.
• Transfer the dough to a mixer, and beat in the eggs one at a time; the mixture will look curdled at first, but when you add the last egg it should become smooth. Beat for 1 minute after adding the last egg. You'll have a stiff, smooth batter.
• Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls (about the size of a chestnut) onto the prepared sheets (a teaspoon cookie scoop works well here). Leave about 1 ½" to 2" between them; they're going to expand to about the size of a golf ball.
• Bake the puffs for about 20 minutes, till they've puffed, they're a medium golden-brown, and they look dry.
• Remove baked puffs from the oven, and use a sharp knife to cut a slit into the side of each puff, for steam to escape; this will help prevent them from becoming soggy. Return the puffs to the oven for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.
• To fill puffs: Combine all of the filling ingredients, stirring till it's begun to thicken. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Pudding can be made ahead; puffs are best filled just before serving.
• Gently open each puff along a natural "fault line;" you'll see where they want to split. Fill bottom half of each puff with 2 measured teaspoons of filling, and replace with top half. Too fill puffs fuller, see tip at right.
• Sift confectioners' sugar atop puffs just before serving. For pink sugar, combine sugar with red food coloring in a blender or food processor (a mini processor works well here). Rub the pink sugar through a sieve onto the puffs.

PINK COCONUT SNOWBALL CAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes:.
• Heat oven to 350°F; prepare 10 large size muffin tins. I suggest not using paper liners for this. If you do you will have to remove them before frosting.
• Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about five minutes.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Beat well.
• Sift flour with baking powder and soda.
• Add 1/4 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add vanilla and 1/3 of the buttermilk.
• Repeat, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrap well after each addition.
• Fold in coconut.
• Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake about 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in tins about 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely. If you used paper liners, remove the liners.
• Make the frosting:.
• Combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth and spreadable. Add a drop of food coloring and blend to make a light pink frosting.
• To make the snowballs:.
• When cupcakes are cool, freeze them on parchment paper about 20 minutes.
• Spread a thick, even layer of frosting all over each cupcake, sides and bottom too.
• Freeze on parchment again for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 day.
• Spread a second, thick, even layer of frosting all over them.
• Sprinkle generously with coconut, about 1/4 cup per snowball.