Butternut Balls
Chef's Notes
Round crumbly walnut based cookie - very special christmas tradition to me
Makes aprox 50 balls about 1.5 cm (1/2 - 3/4 inch) in diameter (we usually double the recipe because they are a favorite that goes quick)
Ingredients
1 stick + 2 tbsp room temp butter 1 egg yolk 2 cup flour 1/2 cup granular sugar 1+ tsp vanilla extract 1 cup fine chop walnuts 1/4 tsp salt 1+ cup mini semi sweet choc chips (very small - 2 mm wide) 1 cup powdered sugar cinnamon
Instructions
- Finely chop walnuts into 1-2mm (1/16 inch) pieces if not already (pecans could also be used) and spread out onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake walnuts (at 350 F) for 7 min. Let cool to room temperature (if its winter you can set the sheet outside for quicker cooling)
- While walnuts are baking/cooling, beat butter and granular sugar in large metal bowl on high until fluffy.
- Mix in cooled walnuts and mini choc chips (chop chocolate if unable to find small enough chips) mixture should be dry and crumbly. You can probably add some cinnamon somewhere in the mixing process
- Pack the dry dough into a small sturdy melon baller, and scoop it out into your hand. Use your palm and fingers to round the ball (warm hands are best). This is time consuming but worth it, and a cherished christmas tradition of mine.
- Put all the balls on a cookie sheet, they can touch each other since they don't expand. Bake at 350 F for 12 min. Cool to room temperature - very important! Again they can be sat outside to cool if it is cold outside.
Roll completely cooled balls in powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon. If they are too warm the powdered sugar will melt or soak into them rather than softly coating the surface. Put cookies into a container
Butternut Balls by Solaria!