Here’s the most important step for the classic “snowball” look: the double sugar coat. As soon as the cookies are out of the oven and cool enough to handle (but still very warm), I gently roll each one in a bowl of powdered sugar. This first coat will melt and create a thin, glossy icing. I place them on a wire rack to cool completely. Once they are fully cooled, I roll each cookie in powdered sugar a second time. This second coat gives them that beautiful, thick, snowy, matte finish that won’t melt away. The contrast between the snowy exterior and the soft, golden interior is absolutely perfect.
Pro Tips for Best Results
For the most consistent, perfectly round snowballs, weigh your dough. I use a small kitchen scale to portion 25-gram balls of dough. This ensures they all bake at the same rate and are uniform in size. If you don’t have a scale, use a level tablespoon measure and roll gently between your palms.
I’ve tested the baking time three different ways: under-baking (10 minutes), perfect (12-13), and over-baking (15). The perfect time gives you a cookie that is fully cooked but remains supremely tender inside. An over-baked snowball becomes dry and crumbly instead of soft and melting. Set a timer and check at the 12-minute mark.
To prevent a greasy cookie, ensure your butter is softened, not melted. If the dough feels too greasy after mixing, it’s likely the butter was too warm. The 30-minute fridge chill will fix this. Also, when rolling in powdered sugar, work with a few cookies at a time while they are warm, not hot, to avoid melting the sugar into an uneven glaze.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
My biggest first-time mistake was using cold butter. I tried to speed up the process by microwaving it slightly, which led to uneven softening and a greasy dough that spread too thin in the oven. Don’t do what I did! Plan ahead for truly room-temperature butter. It should be cool to the touch but leave a clear indent when you press it.(See the next page below to continue…)