Description
Christmas Mice Snowball Cookies are buttery, crisp, nutty treats shaped like adorable fluffy white mice, perfect for holiday celebrations. These nostalgic cookies have a melt-in-your-mouth texture with a sweet powdered sugar coating and festive candy rope tails, combining classic snowball flavors with charming seasonal design.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies
- 1 cup pecans
- 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
For Decoration
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
- 30 pieces candy ropes (cherry licorice)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and 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 they smell toasty, being careful not to burn them. Remove and let cool.
- Prepare Butter Mixture. In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the softened butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Mix until creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. Add the flour and cooled crushed pecans to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until a dough forms.
- Shape Cookies. Use a cookie scoop to portion 1½ tablespoon amounts of dough. Roll each into a ball and pinch one side to form a nose. Insert almond slices on top for ears.
- Bake Cookies. Place shaped cookies spaced 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Dust and Add Tails. Immediately dust the hot cookies with powdered sugar. Use a toothpick to create a small hole for the tail and insert a piece of candy rope while the cookies are still warm so the tail sticks.
- Cool and Serve. Allow cookies to cool completely; they will crisp further as they cool.
Notes
- Handle pecans carefully while toasting to avoid burning as nuts cook quickly.
- Using a cookie scoop ensures evenly sized cookies for consistent baking.
- The powdered sugar coating enhances the classic snowball texture and flavor.
- Insert candy rope tails while cookies are still warm for better sticking.
- These cookies keep well stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
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
