Butterballs

Butterballs are a classic holiday cookie – Buttery cookies baked into little snowballs and rolled in powdered sugar. Perfect for a cookie tray and to serve with tea and coffee!

Okay friends, I’ve got one last cookie recipe to share before Christmas! Actually, I shared this recipe back in 2012, but the photos weren’t so hot and the recipe directions weren’t great so I’ve updated both!

Coming from an Italian family, we call these cookies Butterballs. Some people may call them snowballs and I’ve also heard some people refer to them as Russian tea cookies. I’ve only ever really known them as Butterballs though so that is what I’m going with here!

I bet you can’t guess the main ingredient in these cookies…BUTTER! Lots and lots of butter. So you know these are good. They are pretty simple to make and the ingredient list is quite minimal. These cookies do not require any eggs, baking powder, or baking soda. They really couldn’t be easier and are so tasty and look like pretty little balls of snow when rolled in powdered sugar!

To make Butterballs, you will need:

• BUTTER!
• powdered sugar
• all-purpose flour
• salt
• vanilla

Recipe Tips and Suggestions:

• I do recommend using sifted flour for these. It improves the texture and lightness of the cookie, though I have also made them without sifting and they still turn out to be equally as delicious.
• You can also stir in finely chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips to kick these up a notch!
• I have sent these in a jar as a gift. They traveled well as I cushioned them in a container with a good amount of food-safe tissue paper.

Looking for more holiday cookies for your cookie trays? Try these:

Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles

Chocolate Caramel Blossoms

Magic Bars

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Print

Yield: About 2 dozen

Butterballs

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

This classic Italian Butterball cookie is a staple for holidays!

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling the cookies in after they bake)
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Sift together the flour and salt. Add the flour gradually to the butter and sugar mixture until well-combined.
3. Blend in the vanilla (and the walnuts or chocolate chips, if using) using your hands. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes in the fridge or 15 minutes in the freezer.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Form the dough into balls (or into crescent shapes) and place on the baking sheet.
5. Bake cookies for about 14-17 minutes or until a very light golden brown.
6. Allow the cookies to cool for about 7 minutes. Roll each one in extra powdered sugar.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 51mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g

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Cranberry Orange Bars Magic Bars Chocolate Caramel Blossoms Magic Bars