Almond Snowballs

EdsGirlAngie's Note:

These Christmas cookies are so pretty, with a sweet almond paste surprise in the center, topped with a tasty almond glaze and a sparkling coating of edible glitter or coarse sugar crystals. They look like they take forever to make, but only you need to know how easy they are! Yield is approximate - these cookie recipes come out differently every time (so it seems to me...).

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 24 snowballs

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1⁄3; cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 4 ounces packages almond paste
• edibleglitter or coarse sugar crystals

For the Almond Frosting mix until smooth

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 4 -5 teaspoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat or mix together flour, butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
3. Cut the almond paste into 1/2-inch slices, then cut slices into 1/4ths.
4. Shape 1-inch ball of cookie dough around each piece of almond paste; roll gently and form a ball.
5. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are golden brown.
7. Remove to a wire rack.
8. Cool for 30 minutes; dip tops into Almond Frosting, then into glitter or coarse sugar.

Reviews

[*axxo*]

Thank YOU for a wonderful addition to my Christmas Cookie tray. These delicate cookies are delicious. The almond paste in the center truly make this a tasty morsel. These cookies are keepers and will continue to make an appearance on my cookie trays for many years to come.

[Pianolady]

These are delicious and beautiful -- and easy to make as well! The only thing I would like to figure out how to improve upon is how to place the almond paste so that it does not tend to come out of the cookie in one or two chunks when biting into the cookie, leaving the remaining cookie shell behind. Next time I will either put food coloring in the frosting or dip them in something other than sugar crystals, as the sugar crystals were a little too prevelant in this cookie for our tastes. All in all, though, a delicious and wonderfully easy recipe, and a beautiful looking result! Thanks for this recipe! Dianne

[Pumpkie]

Omg I love almond. These are so good and are so easy. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.