Christmas Ball Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla. Mix in the flour, pecans, and salt. Roll about 1 tablespoon or so of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until bottoms are golden, about 15 minutes. Do not allow these cookies to get too brown: it's better to undercook them than to overcook them. While cookies are still hot, roll them in confectioners' sugar. Once they have cooled, roll them in confectioners' sugar once more.

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 cup of the butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the salt with electric mixer on medium speed about2 minutes or until creamy. Beat in 1/4 teaspoon of the almond extract. On low speed, beat in flour just until combined. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Shape dough into 48 (3/4-inch) balls. Roll 16 balls in each color of sanding sugar, coating completely. On cookie sheets, place balls 1 inch apart.
• Bake 15 minutes or until set and bottoms are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. In small bowl, beat remaining 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. For each sandwich cookie, spread about 1/2 teaspoon filling on bottom of 1 cookie; top with second cookie, bottom side down, to form ball.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
• Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat until well blended.
• Stir in pecans.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.
• Bake in a 300° regular or convection oven until cookies are pale golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• If baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking.
• Let cookies stand on sheets until cool enough to handle.
• Place remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
• Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat all over; discard remaining sugar.
• Set cookies on racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• Mix ingredients together until well blended.
• Hand form into small balls.
• Bake at 300° up to 15 minutes. (These will not brown).
• While balls are still warm, roll into powdered sugar.