Pistachio Snow Ball Cookies

Usually made with almonds, and resembling tea cookies, this recipe for melt in your mouth snowball cookies is sure to make it to your Holiday save list.

I love everything about the holidays. The glitz and trimmings. The stockings hung in the middle of my menorah and Chanukah bush, the lights outside, and that new Santa's Cookies tray that needs cookies on it. I love using time and true recipes from my fellow bloggers that highlight their family traditions. But sometimes I crave something more my own. That is how I came up with these cookies.

But for the sake of tradition, my snowball cookies also have a family tradition behind them. Every year, my Aunt Diane and Uncle Richard (we used to call him uncle fruit loop) would bring us small things, (many made by Aunt's loving mother, Deenie.) They also always carried with them a gift of a variety of cookies. May favorite were the powdery, melt in your mouth snowballs. My Aunt and Uncle have now passed, and the recipe for these cookies are no where to be found. I have spent three holiday seasons trying to create a treasured childhood memory. I have played with proportions of shortening and vegan butters, pure cane sugar and powdered sugar. I have finally landed a recipe that while not being perfectly the cookies of memory, has finally satiated my craving.

I will be making these for both Santa's plate and to ring in the start of Chanukah.

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This recipe takes 10 min of prep time, 35-40 minutes cook time and serves 8.

The supplies needed are: Food Processor, scraper, plastic wrap, large cookie sheet, parchment paper, flour sifter, and a plate or tray to serve your finished product. The ingredients needed 1/2 cup unshelled pistachios, 3/4 cup Crisco shortening, 1/4 cup pure can sugar, 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar.1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 3/4 cup sifted flour.

STEP 1 Measure out 3/4 cup vegetable shortening, 1/4 cup pure can sugar, and 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar. Pour into a food processor. Cover and pulse until combined into a smooth texture.

Step 2 Pour the 1/2 cup pistachios (make sure to purchase the plain, unflavored pistachios. You might not want BBQ flavored pistachios in this recipe., 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and almond flavorings, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cover and pulse until well combined.

Step 3 Pour the 1 and 3/4 cup sifted flour into the food processor. Pulse until well combined. This may take a few minutes. This is where your scraper comes into play. Every time you notice the dough on the bottom being combined, but not the top, turn off the processor, uncover, and scrape the dough off the sides, into the middle.

Step 4 Roll out about a foot and a hold of plastic wrap. Empty the continents of the food processor on to the plastic wrap and tighten the wrap securely. Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. (I find overnight is best. But if you are in a hurry, 2 hours is fine.)

Step 5 After refrigeration, roll into medium sized balls and place, spaced apart, on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cook for seven minutes at 350 degrees.

Step 6 Remove cookies from the oven. Let cool for ten minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool ten more minutes. Cover with powdered sugar and place on a serving tray, or in a Ziplock bag. Serve when completely cooled. These last 5 minutes on your table, or three days in a Ziplock bag.

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Vegan Pistachio Snow Ball Cookies

Prep Time 12 Minutes Refrigeration: 2 hours to overnight Bake Time 7 minutes Yields 18 cookies

• 3/4 Cup Vegetable Shortening

• 1/2 Cup Imperial or other vegan powdered sugar, sifted

• 1/4 cup pure cane sugar

• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 and 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Measure out 3/4 cup vegetable shortening, 1/4 cup pure can sugar, and 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar. Pour into a food processor. Cover and pulse until combined into a smooth texture.

2. Pour the 1/2 cup pistachios (make sure to purchase the plain, unflavored pistachios. You might not want BBQ flavored pistachios in this recipe., 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and almond flavorings, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cover and pulse until well combined.

3. Pour the 1 and 3/4 cup sifted flour into the food processor. Pulse until well combined. This may take a few minutes. This is where your scraper comes into play. Every time you notice the dough on the bottom being combined, but not the top, turn off the processor, uncover, and scrape the dough off the sides, into the middle.

4. Roll out about a foot and a hold of plastic wrap. Empty the continents of the food processor on to the plastic wrap and tighten the wrap securely. Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. (I find overnight is best. But if you are in a hurry, 2 hours is fine.)

5. After refrigeration, roll into medium sized balls and place, spaced apart, on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cook for seven minutes at 350 degrees.

6. Remove cookies from the oven. Let cool for ten minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool ten more minutes. Cover with powdered sugar and place on a serving tray, or in a Ziplock bag. Serve when completely cooled. These last 5 minutes on your table, or three days in a Ziplock bag.

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