Description
Delight in these Filled Almond Snowball Cookies, a buttery, tender treat studded with toasted ground almonds and a sweet raspberry jam center. Finished with a double coating of powdered sugar, these elegant cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings or anytime you crave a delicate nutty dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup toasted ground almonds
- pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
Finishing
- powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, stir together the all purpose flour, toasted ground almonds, and a pinch of salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Flavor: Mix in the almond extract thoroughly with the creamed butter and sugar.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed just until everything is combined.
- Shape the Dough: Take two 1-inch pieces of dough and roll each into balls. Using your fingers, make a hollow in each dough ball and spoon a scant half teaspoon of raspberry jam into the hollow.
- Seal the Cookies: Press the two dough balls together around the jam to enclose it fully, pinching the edges to seal and reshaping into a smooth ball. Place the formed cookie on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill: Repeat the shaping process with the remaining dough. Refrigerate the baking sheets with cookies for 1 to 2 hours to firm up the dough.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- Bake: Bake the chilled cookies for about 12 minutes or until the bottoms just begin to brown.
- Coat with Sugar: When the cookies are just warm, roll them in powdered sugar. Once fully cooled, roll them in powdered sugar again for a beautiful snowy coating.
- Store: Store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- To toast almonds, spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Use seedless raspberry jam to avoid seeds interfering with the smooth texture of the cookies.
- Chilling the dough is essential to keep the cookies from spreading during baking and to maintain the jam filling inside.
- If you prefer, substitute almond extract with vanilla extract for a different flavor profile.
- Rolling the cookies twice in powdered sugar gives them a delicate snowy finish and extra sweetness.
- Store cookies in a cool, dry place in an airtight container to preserve freshness for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
