Thursday, December 13, 2012

5-Ingredient Vanilla Almond Snowballs ~ Christmas Cookie Swap

Good morning!  Are you ready for some more cookies?!?  Rhetorical question.  

I am, so that's what you get today - cookies!  Not just any cookies though.  Cookies from the kitchen of a food blogger's mom.   We're talking legit you-need-these cookies.  And it's all for the 1st Annual Christmas Cookie Swap.  

I have some really great gals co-hosting the swap with me this year.  I have to give a special shout out to Jaime too.  I don't think this would have happened without all her help and keeping me calmness.  Thank you!!  Meet your lovely co-hosts:


This year I was lucky enough to a lady I've become good friends with ever since she was my blog angel in October.  Can you guess who it is?  Carrie from The Frugal Foodie Mama!!  I know it's kind of cheating that I knew who my partner was and not everyone else did, but them's the perks of coordinating everything.  

 I have to tell you the back story about these cookies.  It was too sweet and Carrie might blush, but I've got to.
"I am sharing with you my recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies.  They are so easy, I am almost embarrassed.  (Okay, not really because they are crazy good!)  My mom has been making them since I was a little girl, and I always loved them because I thought they looked like little snowballs."

 Hopefully Carrie will forgive me for taking a couple liberties with her beloved snowballs, but I was working with what I had on hand.  Side note: I was so happy to bake these cookies today.  Yes, I made them this morning.  My hot water heater and garbage disposal went out on Sunday and this is the first day I've had hot water and a working sink to do dishes.  These cookies made every thing better though.  Seriously.

5-Ingredient Vanilla Almond Snowballs
Adapted from The Frugal Foodie Mama

 Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped almonds

 Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place chopped almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 3 to 5 minutes in preheated oven.  Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. While nuts are toasting, cream together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add flour to butter mixture in two portions; mix until just combined after each addition.  Stir in toasted almonds by hand.
  5. Roll cookie dough into 1" balls and place on a greased (or Sil-Pat lined) baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until the bottom edges of the cookies just begin to brown.
  6. Remove cookies from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Roll warm cookies in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
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11 comments:

  1. Carrie @ My Favorite FindsDecember 13, 2012 at 10:40 AM

    Yours look great! THanks for setting up the swap!

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    Replies
    1. Julie EDecember 13, 2012 at 10:43 AM

      Thanks Carrie! It was WAY more work than I was expecting. I'll set up the swapping a little different next time and just email the spread sheet, but it was a good learning experience. :)

      Delete
  2. Carrie RobinsonDecember 13, 2012 at 10:44 AM

    Ohhhhh... I loved that you used almonds! I had never thought of making them with almonds before. ;)
    And you didn't embarrass me. Thanks for sharing the back story with all your readers. :)

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    Replies
    1. Julie EDecember 13, 2012 at 10:52 AM

      I totally thought I had pecans in the freezer, and I didn't. Instead I had a bag of whole almonds and I always love some extra vanilla. :) Otto is walking around with powdered sugar face and his second cookie right now. My boys and I are loving these bad boys!

      Delete
  3. Melissa {Persnickety Plates}December 13, 2012 at 10:59 AM

    Thanks for setting it up! I had fun. My recipe showed up in time for me to get them made after all :)

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  4. KellyDecember 13, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    These sounds amazing!

    xx
    Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

    ReplyDelete
  5. StephanieDecember 13, 2012 at 1:33 PM

    Yum! I love these, but I never knew how to make them. These are easier than I imagined, I'm trying it this year.

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  6. LoyDecember 13, 2012 at 2:27 PM

    Thanks for setting this up. I'm sure that it was a lot of hard work. I loved the idea of just sending a recipe. I am a cookie addict, and there is no way I can have too many cookie recipes. I will be checking out all the links. Have a Merry Christmas.

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  7. AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 8:08 PM

    These look great!
    I loved doing this swap, hopefully there's another next year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beth WDecember 14, 2012 at 7:26 PM

    I love those! We make them every Christmas, but we've always called them Russian Tea Cakes. :D

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