Description
Christmas Mice Snowball Cookies are buttery, crisp, and nutty treats shaped like fluffy white mice, perfect for the holiday season. These nostalgic cookies are coated in powdered sugar, with almond slice ears and candy rope tails, making them both delicious and festive.
Ingredients
Scale
Nut Base
- 1 cup pecans
Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (270g)
- ¼ cup almond slices
Decoration
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
- 30 pieces Candy ropes (cherry licorice)
Instructions
- 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 toasty and fragrant. Remove and let cool, then chop into small pieces.
- Make Butter Mixture: In a large bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together softened butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt until smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Combine Dough: Add the all-purpose flour and cooled chopped pecans to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a dough forms.
- Shape Cookies: Use a cookie scoop to portion 1 ½ tablespoon of dough, roll each into a ball, pinch one side to form a nose shape, and press almond slices into the sides for ears.
- Bake: Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with 1 inch spacing and bake for 15 minutes until golden.
- Add Decoration: Immediately after removing from the oven, dust cookies generously with powdered sugar. Use a toothpick to create a hole at the back for the tail and insert candy rope pieces while cookies are still warm for them to stick.
- Cool and Serve: Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. They will firm up and get crisp in the center as they cool. Serve and enjoy your festive Christmas mice cookies!
Notes
- Be careful not to burn the pecans when toasting; watch closely as they toast quickly.
- Softened butter is key for creamy dough; let it come to room temperature before mixing.
- Pinching the dough on one side creates the mouse's nose shape; almond slices serve as ears for a cute effect.
- Insert candy rope tails while cookies are still hot to ensure they stick properly.
- Cookies will get crisp as they cool, avoid dusting with powdered sugar before baking to preserve the coating.
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
