½cuppowdered sugarplus about ½ cup more for rolling the warm cookies in
1teaspoonvanilla extract
½teaspoonkosher saltif using table salt decrease the measurement to ⅓ teaspoon
1teaspooncinnamon
1teaspoonground ginger
½teaspoonnutmegfreshly grated from whole nutmegs if possible
¼teaspoonground allspice
¼teaspoonground cloves
1tablespoonunsulfured molassesI use Grandma's Molasses
2 ¼cupsall-purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
Cream butter until light and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and molasses; and mix on medium-low speed until smooth and well blended.
Add the flour slowly, mixing until well blended. Dough will look crumbly.
Roll in tablespoon sized balls.
Put on the baking sheet - keep them about an inch apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are light golden brown on the bottoms.
Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
Put about ½ cup of powdered sugar in a large bowl.
Roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar to completely coat them.
Let cool completely.
Notes
Storage:You can store these in an airtight container for several days at room temperature.Freeze the dough balls prior to baking or after they're baked. They'll be fine for up to 3 months.Flash freeze unbaked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and then store in a freezer bag.Store baked cookies in a freezer container with wax paper between the layers. For best results you'll want to roll them in powdered sugar after they are thawed.Tips:
Cool your Christmas snowball cookies slightly on a wire rack before rolling them in powdered sugar. Too warm and the powdered sugar may melt but if the warm cookies cool too much then the powdered sugar won’t stick.
Use a small cookie scoop to create uniform-sized 1-inch balls.
Chilling your cookie dough in the refrigerator for a short time can help you to roll your cookies into smooth cookie dough balls
An electric mixer like a stand mixer is great when it comes to making shortbread cookies like these snowball sugar cookies but you could also use a hand mixer.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container. These may crumble during shipping.