Raspberry Almond Snowball Cookies Recipe
Raspberry Almond Snowball Cookies are delicate, buttery treats filled with sweet seedless raspberry jam and finely ground almonds. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are coated generously in powdered sugar, offering a delightful balance of nutty flavor and fruity sweetness, perfect for holiday gatherings or any special occasion.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for coating
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely ground almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat Oven Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Cream Butter and Sugar In a large bowl, beat together the softened unsalted butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar using a mixer or by hand until the mixture is light and fluffy, which incorporates air for tender cookies.
- Add Vanilla Stir in the vanilla extract for added depth of flavor, mixing until fully blended.
- Mix Dry Ingredients In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, finely ground almonds, and salt to combine evenly and ensure a consistent texture in the dough.
- Combine Wet and Dry Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture, gently mixing until just combined to avoid overworking the dough which could make cookies tough.
- Shape and Fill Dough Balls Scoop about a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Make a small indentation in the center and fill it with approximately 1/4 teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam. Carefully pinch the edges of the dough to seal the jam inside, then re-roll into a smooth ball to encase the filling completely.
- Arrange and Bake Place the filled dough balls evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden but the cookies remain pale and soft.
- Cool and Powder Sugar Coating Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, roll each cookie generously in powdered sugar. For best coverage and a snowy appearance, roll the cookies in powdered sugar twice.
Notes
- Use softened butter at room temperature to ensure the dough mixes smoothly and produces tender cookies.
- Seal the raspberry jam filling thoroughly to prevent leakage during baking.
- Finely ground almonds provide a delicate texture; you can pulse whole almonds in a food processor until fine.
- If jam is too runny, strain it or slightly reduce the quantity to avoid spreading.
- Rolling the cooled cookies twice in powdered sugar gives a beautiful snowy coating and enhances sweetness.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
