Nutty Orange Snowballs Food

NUTTY ORANGE SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in orange zest and extracts. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts., Shape into 3/4-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., Place remaining confectioners' sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Add cookies, a few at a time, and shake to coat. Store in an airtight container.

SNOWBALLS II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla. Mix in the flour, pecans, and salt. Roll about 1 tablespoon or so of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until bottoms are golden, about 15 minutes. Do not allow these cookies to get too brown: it's better to undercook them than to overcook them. While cookies are still hot, roll them in confectioners' sugar. Once they have cooled, roll them in confectioners' sugar once more.

SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C.) Lightly butter 2 baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour and salt; mix into the butter mixture. Stir in the pecans. Dust your hands with a little of the confectioners' sugar and roll the dough into 1 inch balls.
• Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes or just until brown. Put on racks to cool for 15 minutes, then roll in the confectioners sugar.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SNOWBALL COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚ F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake on the lower rack until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and pulse to combine.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and the vanilla; beat on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed to low again, add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Beat in the chopped chocolate. Cover the dough and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Arrange about 2 inches apart on 2 unlined baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies spread slightly, have a matte finish and look slightly darker around the edges, 18 to 24 minutes. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Put the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Gently roll the cookies in the sugar to coat completely, rerolling as needed. Dust the tops of the cookies with cocoa powder.

COCONUT ORANGE SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Bake coconut on rimmed baking sheet until light golden, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and both extracts in bowl to blend well. Beat in flour, orange peel, and salt. Stir in coconut. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Soften dough slightly before shaping.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Using 1 level tablespoon dough for each cookie, roll dough between palms of hands into balls.
• Place on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
• Bake until golden on bottom but pale on top, about 18 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to racks; cool 5 minutes.
• Place remaining 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar in bowl.Roll hot cookies in powdered sugar, covering completely.
• Cool cookies on rack. Roll cookies in powdered sugar again, coating generously.
• Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.

NOEL NUT BALLS

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, pecans, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and honey until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in bourbon or orange juice just to combine. Add flour mixture, and beat just to combine. Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic, wrap tightly, and chill 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough, 2 teaspoons at a time, into balls. Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until brown around edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Roll in confectioners' sugar to coat. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.