Candy Cane Snow Ball Cookies

The other day I wrote about the traditions that I want to have in my new little family.

On Sunday my husband and I started a new tradition.

Thomas’ grandma (Grandma C) has been making Candy Cane Cookies since at least 1955. She even had her recipe published in a cookbook many years ago. I tried them for the first time at Christmas time last year and that’s when I learned that these are Thomas’ favorite cookies.

This year he wanted to make them together and told me he wanted it to be a tradition for us to continue with our kids (although I think he wants it to be for ME to make them, but at least he helped this year).

I actually remembered to take pictures for this recipe so I thought I’d share it with you for next year’s baking!

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened (not melted)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 ½ cups flour

1 ½ cups pecans, finely chopped

1 cup ground candy canes (about 17 candy canes)

Tools:

Food Processor

Cookie sheet(s)

2 large bowls

Pre-heated Oven: 350*

FIRST STEP:

First off you will want to prepare the candy cane/powdered sugar mix to coat the cookies.

1.    Break candy canes into small pieces (maybe 1 – 2”) and place in food processor. I set mine to high and it took somewhere between 30-60 seconds to get the candy canes into a powder consistency. We used about 17 candy canes and had more than enough.

2.    Place powdered candy canes into a bowl and mix in 1 cup powdered sugar.

3.    Set aside.

SECOND STEP:

1.    With the butter softened, place in a bowl and mix in the remainder of the powdered sugar. Blend well. Mix in the vanilla.

2.    Once the vanilla, butter, and sugar are well blended sift in the flour a bit by bit and blend with the forming dough (by this point you’ll want to do it with your hands). Add salt.

3.    Use the food processor to cut up the pecans (I used 1 bakers bag of pecans – available in the baking aisle). Cut up until it is in small chunks.

4.    Mix the pecans into the dough.

THIRD STEP:

1.    Take small pieces of dough and use your hands to roll into a ball. You don’t want them too big, they should be bite size (the cookies tend to crumble, so the bigger they are the harder they are to eat).

2.    Place the cookies/balls on an un-greased cookie sheet. (I have the American brand – they are amazing! No sticking!) The cookies don’t expand so they can be fairly close to each other, but they shouldn’t touch).

FOURTH STEP:

1.    Place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven for about 10 minutes per batch. Check the bottom of the cookies, when they are a light brown they are done.

FIFTH STEP:

1.    Once you take them out of the oven, while they are still warm, roll them in the candy cane/powdered sugar combination you made first.

And then you are done!

I am not a good baker. I tend to only make boxed cakes and cookies that are in cookie dough format already. But these were pretty easy to make! Enjoy!

All credit goes to Grandma C.!