Featured Recipe
Almond Snowball Cookies
By Kate
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Crisp almond cookies coated in double powdered sugar, featuring a subtle twist with toasted hazelnuts and oat flour. Mix of soft butter and ground nuts creates a tender but sturdy texture. Visual cues key: golden edges, cracking sugar coating. Adjusted sugar amounts to balance oat flour mildness. Classic shaping method ensures even size and baking. Replace half butter with coconut oil for dairy-free. Store airtight; freezes well. Technique tips on creaming and rolling for perfect texture. Use visual doneness, not strict timing.
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Prep:
40 min
Cook:
20 min
Total:
60 min
Serves:
4 to 5 dozen
cookies
baking
desserts
holiday treats
Introduction
Butter, nuts, sugar. Simple but tricky chemistry. The dry flour balance shifts crispness, chew, and tenderness. Using oat flour adds a bit of chew and subtle sweetness, prevents dryness too fast. Hazelnuts take the place of almonds in part, offering deeper toasty flavor and crunch in every bite. Powdered sugar dusting not just decor; twice rolling locks in that snowy crust that cracks satisfyingly with the first bite. Temperature matters a lot here; underbake and they lack structure, overbake and they get dry and brown. Watch edges, jiggle in center. Timing is a guideline, your eyes and hands tell the story. Mixing—don’t overdo it or gluten kicks in, ruining delicate texture. This method lets you make dozens at once, then freeze half. Perfect treat to have on hand for guests or sudden sugar cravings.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Almond flour is the backbone; use finely ground but not paste. If unavailable, blend blanched almonds in a food processor to fine meal, but watch for turning into butter. Oat flour brings softness and subtle chew but absorbs more moisture; you could swap it 1:1 with all-purpose flour for crisper texture but expect less nutty flavor. Toasting hazelnuts intensifies flavor but don’t skip. Substitute with toasted pecans or walnuts if you prefer. Butter plus coconut oil combo stabilizes dough; coconut oil replaces some fat providing tenderness and slight sweetness while keeping everything dairy-free. Powdered sugar amount reduced by 20% from traditional to compensate for oat flour sweetness and avoid cloying finish. Always sift powdered sugar to avoid lumps when coating. Could dust with cinnamon sugar mix for holiday twist.
Method
Technique Tips
Oven temperature calibration crucial here; even slight overheat browns edges too fast. Use parchment to prevent thin edges burning. Toast hazelnuts lightly to release oils, watch closely—nuts burn fast and ruin flavor. Creaming butter and coconut oil aerates fat and gives lift; skipping this yields flat cookies. When folding nut-flour mix, gentle coaxing prevents overworking dough—gluten development toughens delicate cookie. Portioning with a scoop gives uniform size and bake time. Rolling into balls ensures even shape; cracks cause uneven baking. Baking indication: pale tops with edges just coloring, slight wobble in center if tested gently doesn’t mean underdone, cookies firm up as they cool. Cooling on baking sheet makes cookies finish setting—transfer too soon and they fall apart. Rolling in powdered sugar warm makes it stick better; second roll dry sets crust and prevents sticking. Cookie storage: airtight at room temp retains crisp outside, soft inside. Freeze between parchment sheets in Ziploc to avoid clumping. Thaw before slicing if using with sandwich fillings.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Always toast hazelnuts; deepens flavor. Watch closely; nuts burn easily. A few minutes can change everything. Smell when they start releasing oils.
- 💡 Use a paddle attachment for creaming. It aerates better. If mixing by hand, you're in for arm work. Keep at it until fluffy, light. Texture matters.
- 💡 Chill dough if it’s sticky. Doesn’t hold shape? Cold helps. Dough might seem too soft; trust the process. It firms when baked. Visual cues key.
- 💡 Rolling balls needs a firm hand. No cracks, or you’re risking uneven baking. A smooth surface bakes evenly. Pay attention to spacing between them.
- 💡 Baking time varies with the oven; find your sweet spot. Not all ovens are calibrated. Look for those light golden edges, soft centers. Timing isn’t everything.
