Description
These Christmas Peppermint Snowball Sugar Cookies are festive, tender cookies infused with peppermint extract and mini chocolate chips. Coated generously in crushed peppermint candies and powdered sugar, these snowy white treats offer a perfect holiday flavor and appearance.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5-6 drops hot pink/rose food color gel
Sugar and Chips
- 3 cups powdered sugar, divided (2 cups and 1 cup)
- 1¼ cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Coating
- ¼ cup finely crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat for another 1 to 1½ minutes until fluffy.
- Add Extracts: Lower the mixer speed to medium-low and add the pure peppermint and vanilla extracts, mixing to combine.
- Incorporate Flour Mixture: Keeping the mixer on medium-low, slowly add the flour and cornstarch mixture, mixing just until well incorporated.
- Add Food Coloring: Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the hot pink/rose food color gel, mixing just until the color is uniform throughout the dough.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper – one for baking the cookie balls and one for cooling the finished cookies.
- Scoop and Bake Cookies: Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough, rolling each portion into a ball. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet spaced 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft.
- Prepare Sugar-Coating Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and the finely crushed peppermint candies. Set aside.
- Roll Cookies in Sugar Mixture: Remove cookies from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While still warm, gently roll each cookie in the powdered sugar and peppermint mixture. Transfer coated cookies to the second baking sheet to cool completely.
- Final Coating: Once the cookies have fully cooled, roll them again in the powdered sugar mixture for a thick, snowy coating.
Notes
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- You can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months; thaw before serving.
- The dough can be made a day ahead and kept chilled in the refrigerator for convenience.
- Use softened butter at room temperature, not melted, to prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Double rolling in powdered sugar ensures a beautiful snowball effect; avoid rolling warm cookies to prevent crumbling.
- Use peppermint extract only, not mint extract, to avoid a toothpaste-like flavor.
- Crush peppermint candies easily by placing them in a sealed bag and smashing with a rolling pin.
- You may add a tablespoon of crushed peppermint candies directly into the cookie dough for extra peppermint flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
