Description
Buttery almond-flavored snowball cookies filled with sweet-tart raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar, perfect for holidays or cozy occasions.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds (almond meal)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raspberry jam (seedless preferred)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the almond extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log about 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place half of the rounds on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam onto each round. Top with another dough round, gently pressing the edges to seal the jam inside.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Be careful not to brown the tops.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, then dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Use less jam (about 1/2 teaspoon) to prevent leaking during baking.
Seal edges carefully by pressing gently all around each cookie.
Substitute almond meal with finely ground hazelnuts or pecans if needed.
For gluten-free version, use a gluten-free baking flour blend and ensure almond meal is gluten-free.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months.
Reheat gently at 300°F for 5 minutes to refresh.
Try different fillings like strawberry or apricot preserves.
For added texture, sprinkle chopped nuts on top before baking.
Reduce or skip powdered sugar for less sweetness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert / Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: varies (includes powdered sugar and jam)
- Sodium: low (from salt and butter)
- Fat: moderate (from butter and almonds)
- Saturated Fat: moderate (from butter)
- Unsaturated Fat: present (from almonds and butter)
- Trans Fat: none
- Carbohydrates: moderate (from flour, sugar, and jam)
- Fiber: low (from almond meal)
- Protein: low to moderate (from almonds and flour)
- Cholesterol: present (from butter)
