Monica's favorite gear for
making Pumpkin Spice Snowball Cookies
This is a blend of sweet spices that taste like Fall. It gives a distinctive flavor to this brittle.
This makes it easy to form round, equal portions of cookie dough. I use it for making mini meatballs, too.
This is considered a half sheet in the baking world. I have several of these that I use for all kinds of baking. One of these holds a full batch of Snowball Cookies.
These are non-stick, washable and reusable, and usually can be used in place of parchment paper. This set of 3 mats fits perfectly in half and quarter sheet pans, and they cost less than one similar Silpat mat (see below).
This 12x18 rack fits perfectly inside my 13x18 baking sheets. I used it for cooling my Snowball cookies. It also can be used as a roasting rack.
This versatile little whisk is perfect for combining the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
This 5-qt. mixer gets so much use in my kitchen. It comes with a glass bowl with handy measurements. I added a stainless steel bowl; it's nice to have both.
Also available: stainless steel bowl

Pumpkin Pie Spice Snowball Cookies

A classic cookie takes on the most popular flavor of Fall


Snowball Cookies with Pumpkin Spice

By Monica              makes 45-50 cookies
Pumpkin Spice Snowball Cookies are everything you love about the traditional version enhanced with the flavors of autumn. An easy, festive, and delicious treat.
from The Yummy Life

These are everything you love about the traditional version enhanced with the flavors of autumn. An easy, festive, and delicious treat.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1-1/2 cups, divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, only add a pinch of salt)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, divided
  • 2-1/4 cups flour
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Add butter, vanilla, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, salt, 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and flour to a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, blend on low speed until mixture is combined but still crumbly. Fold in chopped nuts just until mixed (mixture should still be crumbly).

Form dough into walnut-size balls. (A small scoop makes it easier.) Place on prepared baking sheet 1/2" apart. Bake 15-20 minutes until a few cookies are starting to brown ever-so-slightly. Leave on baking sheet for 10 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice until uniformly mixed. Roll warm cookies in spiced powdered sugar mixture. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack; then roll again in powdered sugar mixture. Store in airtight container.

Flavor and texture of cookies improves the next day, and for several days after.

May be frozen for up to 1 month. After they are thawed, if necessary, roll them again in powdered sugar to restore an even appearance.

 

This recipe is really just a modification of an old family favorite. I simply added pumpkin pie spice (no pumpkin, just the spices) to my Traditional Snowball Cookies resulting in the same melt-in-your-mouth, delicate texture but with a new, seasonal twist. Pumpkin spice is such a distinctive, popular flavor in the autumn, and it blends perfectly with the other flavors in these cookies. 

Pumpkin pie spice is added to both the dough and the powdered sugar coating of these buttery little balls of yum. I'm torn now about which version of snowball cookies is my favorite. I've also done a lemon version that I love. There are worse things than having a snowball cookie recipe for every season!

 

Step-by-step photos for making
Pumpkin Pie Spice Snowball Cookies

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients: 

  • flour
  • powdered (confectioner's) sugar
  • butter
  • salt
  • vanilla
  • chopped pecans
  • pumpkin pie spice (buy it or make your own with my easy recipe)

view on Amazon:  pumpkin pie spice

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Step 2. No creaming of butter or adding ingredients in a specific order is required. Simply put everything into a bowl, and mix on a low speed with an electric mixer until combined. The mixture should be in moist crumbs that will hold together when pressed. (Either a stand or hand-held electric mixer is fastest and easiest. However, you can blend the mixture by hand with a pastry blender if you don't own a mixer.)

view on Amazon:   stand mixerhandheld electric mixerpastry blender

Snowball_Cookies.jpg

Step 3. Roll or scoop walnut size balls of cookie dough. To maintain a light texture, don't over work or compact the dough too much. Form the balls just tightly enough that the dough holds it's round shape. I prefer to use a small scoop for quick, even, perfectly shaped cookies. Arrange cookies on parchment paper or a silicone mat on a large baking sheet. My 13x18" baking sheet holds a full batch of these cookies. 

view on Amazon:  small cookie scoop 13x18" baking sheet,  economical set of silicone mats--(These mats are highly recommended. They have rounded corners for a perfect fit inside half and quarter baking sheets, and they are considerably more economical than the Silpat brand mats--3 mats for less than the cost of 1 Silpat.)

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Step 4. Bake the cookies just until you see a few of them begin to brown ever-so-slightly. Mine bake for 18 minutes. 

Snowball_Cookies2.jpg

Step 5. While the cookies bake, add powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. 

view on Amazon:  pumpkin pie spice,  small whisk

Snowballs_Pumpkin_Spice.jpg

Step 6. Once out of the oven, allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, and while they're still warm, roll them in the spiced powdered sugar. Set them on a rack until completely cooled. (I place my rack inside a baking sheet to contain the powdered sugar mess.)

view on Amazon: cooling rack (it fits perfectly inside a 13x18 baking sheet)

Snowballs_Pumpkin_Spice2.jpg

Step 8. When the cookies have completely cooled, roll them in spiced powdered sugar a second time.

  • Why are they rolled in powdered sugar twice? Rolling them in powered sugar when they are still warm results in a soft, sweet, melty layer surrounding the cookie, as the sugar melts into the butter in the cookies that hasn't cooled & hardened yet. After the cookies have cooled and the butter has hardened, rolling them in powdered sugar again gives the cookies an even powdery outer layer. The double layers of powdered sugar with 2 different textures is much of the appeal of these cookies. 

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Even better the next day. Many cookies are best eaten freshly baked. But, these taste even better a day or two or three after they're baked. Both the flavor and texture improve. That makes these a great make-ahead cookie.

Freezable. You can also freeze these. Roll them again in the powdered sugar mixture after they're thawed to restore their appearance, if necessary.

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I love the texture and pumpkin spice flavor of these cookies. They're tender and crumbly on the inside, with that awesome double layer of powdered sugar on the outside. Keep a napkin handy when you eat them. They're messy to eat, but in the best possible way! 

These delicate, pretty little cookies always look festive on cookie platters. They're wonderful with afternoon tea and perfect to serve at autumn and winter weddings, showers, and parties.

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Make it a Yummy day!

Monica

Link directly to this recipe
Snowball Cookies with Pumpkin Spice
By Monica              Servings: makes 45-50 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1-1/2 cups, divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, only add a pinch of salt)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, divided
  • 2-1/4 cups flour
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Add butter, vanilla, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, salt, 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and flour to a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, blend on low speed until mixture is combined but still crumbly. Fold in chopped nuts just until mixed (mixture should still be crumbly).

Form dough into walnut-size balls. (A small scoop makes it easier.) Place on prepared baking sheet 1/2" apart. Bake 15-20 minutes until a few cookies are starting to brown ever-so-slightly. Leave on baking sheet for 10 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice until uniformly mixed. Roll warm cookies in spiced powdered sugar mixture. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack; then roll again in powdered sugar mixture. Store in airtight container.

Flavor and texture of cookies improves the next day, and for several days after.

May be frozen for up to 1 month. After they are thawed, if necessary, roll them again in powdered sugar to restore an even appearance.



Posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015








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