Peppermint Snowballs
Best of Country Cookies
Try a FREE ISSUE of Taste of Home!
The holidays don't begin around our house until a batch of these cookies is baking in the oven. Their wonderful aroma scrumptiously says, "Christmas!"
SERVINGS: 24
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 15 min./batch
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup ground nuts, optional
- FILLING:
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
- 1 drop red food coloring, optional
- TOPPING:
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in nuts if desired. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
In small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, milk, candy and food coloring if desired. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a deep indentation in the center of each.
Fill with 1/4 teaspoon filling. Cover with 1/4 teaspoonfuls of dough; seal and reshape into balls. Combine topping ingredients; roll balls in topping.
Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Roll warm cookies in remaining topping; cool on wire racks. Yield: 4 dozen.