Pecan Snowballs | Swanky Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my snowball cookies stay round? ›

Too much flour causes the dough to become dry and crumbly, which prevents it from flattening out during baking. As a result, your cookies will stay in their original shape instead of spreading out into nice circles.

Snowball cookies will last up to 3 days at room temperature, in a sealed container, or up to 2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator.

This recipe makes about 3 or 4 dozen, depending on how big you make the balls. Store the candy in an air-tight container. This candy can be easily frozen, stored in the refrigerator, or at room temperature if you'll be eating them within a day or two.

Why do my snowball cookies go flat? These snowball cookies should not flatten. If they do it's likely the dough wasn't chilled long enough and the ingredients were too warm to begin with so they spread. It's also possible you accidentally measured the ingredients incorrectly!

Sandwich your dough between two sheets of parchment, roll, then freeze; it makes cut-out cookies a breeze! If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there's no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing.

Fill both your cupped hands with snow. Start bringing your hands together while rotating them to pack the snow. Each time you bring your hands together, apply more and more pressure. If you start off with too much pressure, the snowball will just fall apart.

They have a 21-day shelf life. If you stick them in the freezer, they'll keep even longer.

The ideal temperature for snowballs is right around freezing. If you know the temperature is around 32F (0C), then don't waste your time scooping snow from near a house; the world's your oyster!

When protected by their natural shells, pecans generally last longer. Around room temperature, in-shell pecans can last for up to 4 months. At chillier temperatures, they can last for much longer. Frozen, in-shell pecans can remain good for several years.

Answer: Keeping your pecans in a tightly sealed bag in a freezer is the optimal way to store pecans. However, refrigerating your pecans will also extend their shelf life. Shelled pecans can be thawed and refrozen repeatedly without any significant loss or damage.

Should you toast pecans before freezing? ›

Yes, and amazingly, they'll still taste like freshly toasted pecans after thawing! To do this, toast your nuts and let them cool completely. Then, place in a freezer ziploc bag and store for about one month. When you're ready to use them, simply let them come back to room temperature and enjoy!

If the butter is too cold, it won't be soft enough to bind the sugar, flour and nuts, making it crumbly and difficult to work with. Too warm and the dough might be greasy and difficult to roll into balls. Soften the butter to just cooler than room temperature and the dough should be perfect.

Why are my snowball cookies falling apart? They crumble too much and fall apart when they don't have enough moisture which comes from the butter. They are crumbly cookies, make no mistake about that.

too much of certain ingredients relative to others: too much flour. too many inclusions or add-ins (especially chopped chocolate and nuts in cookies can stop cookies from spreading)

Mixing Butter & Sugar

If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

First, try adding more liquid to the dough. This can be milk, water, or even just a little bit of extra oil. If that doesn't work, you can try kneading the dough for a few minutes to help it come together. Lastly, if all else fails, you can always add in a few tablespoons of flour to help bind the dough together.

Too much sugar and butter can make sugar cookies spread and lose their shape when baked. This one requires a little patience because once you roll out your dough, you are ready to bake. Be patient and bake your cookies when the dough is really cold.

Too much baking powder can cause the cookies to spread too much. The other usual reason is that the cookie dough is very warm when it goes into the oven, which means that the butter melts too quickly as the cookies bake and causes spreading.