How to Make Snowball Cookies

(Family Features) When it’s cold outside and snow blankets the ground, try heating up the oven and whipping up a batch of Snowball Cookies. These cookies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and with a hint of coconut added to the frosting, your senses might think you’ve been transported to a tropical beach.

When you make coconut snowball cookies, it’s guaranteed to be a white Christmas! These frosted coconut coated cookies have the best texture thanks to chewy coconut folded right into the buttery shortbread dough. They’re a family favorite.

For more cookie recipes, visit culinary.net.

Watch video to see how to make this delicious recipe!

How to make Snowball Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2         cup shortening
• 1            cup sugar
• 1            egg
• 1            teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2      cups flour
• 1/4         teaspoon salt
• 1/2         teaspoon baking soda
• 1/ 2        cup Greek yogurt
• 3 3/4      cups powdered sugar
• 1/2         cup butter
• 3            tablespoons milk
• 2            teaspoons coconut extract
• 1            cup shredded coconut

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Cream together shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla extract.
3. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda.  Add mixture to wet ingredients, alternatively adding in Greek yogurt.
4. Flour surface and roll out cookie dough. Use top of jar or biscuit cutter to make round cookie shapes.
5. Bake 8 minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack immediately.
6. In medium bowl, using a mixer on low, mix powdered sugar, butter, milk and coconut extract until thoroughly combined.  Beat on high until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
7. Spread frosting on cookies.  Pour shredded coconut into small bowl.  Press cookies, frosting side down, into shredded coconut.
8. Store in airtight container.

What makes these snowball cookies special?

• Unlike most snowball cookies (aka Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes) these are nut-free.
• The sweetened shredded coconut adds lovely coconut flavor, of course, but also a really nice slightly chewy texture to these cookies, which I love!
• The vanilla extract plays well with the coconut for a nice complex, but subtle flavor profile.

Recipe adapted from Milk Means More.

SOURCE: Culinary.net