The popular butter cookie is also known as snowballs, pecan butterballs, Mexican wedding cakes, Mexican tea cakes, Russian teacakes, butterballs cookies, pecan sandies, viennese sugar butterballs, whatever alias you name them they are a delicious addition to any cookie collection!.
This easy recipe can be modified easily with flavoring and nuts of choice but always dusted at the end and rolled into a snowy powdered sugar.
They make the perfect addition to any cookie tray around the holiday season.
We love Christmas time for baking cookies and you may also like to try several other holiday cookies we love that add that spirit to the season of baking.
The additions and changes are pretty much endless when you get creative so don't miss my optional suggestions below
Scroll down to my printable recipe card for this melt in your mouth simple buttery cookie recipe.
Classic Butter Ball Cookies
If you love buttery cookies with a touch of sweetness, this will be your new favorite cookie butter ball recipe.
The cookie is not only flaky with buttery goodness it's pretty like a snowball on the Christmas cookie tray and a must-make every year.
Even though these can be any flavor extract you like we prefer the pistachio almond flavor.
If you really want Authentic tasting cookies try making my Homemade Amaretto Liqueor, we always make a huge batch for the holidays and it's super easy!
Other Additions:
- lemon extract
- mini chocolate chips
- toffee chips
- orange, mint, maple, or other flavored extract substitutes
- coconut shredded
- for Christmas, colors add chopped maraschino cherries and white chocolate chips
- pistachios, macadamia nuts, pecan, walnuts, or for nut allergies pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- whole cloves in the center
- zest from lemon or oranges
- chopped dried fruits
- cranberries or raisins with cinnamon added to the batter
Ingredients You Will Need (scroll down for exact measurements)
- powdered sugar and more for garnishing
- vanilla
- butter
- flour
- egg yolk
- Amaretto
- almond extract
- Optional:
- other flavored extracts
- zest of lemon or oranges
- coconut
- assorted flavored chocolate chips
- see the list above for other options to add
Tools
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- mixing bowl
- fork or spatula
- nut chopper if using
- baking cookie sheet
- parchment paper
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Other Italian Delicious Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy!
Biscotti
Almond Paste
Rainbow Cookies
S Shaped Cookies
Popular Names
These cookies have so many names through the years that we've baked them maybe you remember them called: Butterballs, Nut Butterballs, Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Italian Butterballs, Snowballs, Pecan Butterballs, Classic Butterballs.
The cookie is simple to make and basic so you can name them anything you want and a new name is born just by the nuts and flavorings you choose, and viola a new cookie is invented.
It's still one of the best-tasting cookies on the planet no matter what you call it and is perfect for any Holiday or Wedding cookie tray.
Italian Amaretto Butter Cookies
Yield: 24
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min
This is an easy butter cookie we make around the holiday season. The flavor can be changed to anything you prefer however we make these with Amaretto and almond extract then they are rolled in powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 cup of regular salted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup of chopped toasted almonds, pecans, pistachios, macadamia, walnuts, or hazelnuts (if you have nuts allergies substitute with roasted pumpkin seeds crushed or sunflower seeds unsalted)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of Amaretto liqueur or for stronger flavor use
- 1 teaspoon of almond extract
- Garnish: more powdered sugar for garnishing and rolling the cookies in (around 2 cups)
- Note: you can also substitute almond extract for vanilla, lemon, orange, maple, zest from fruits, even peppermint, or another flavored extract and make any flavors you prefer and omit the liquor.
Instructions
- Soften butter and cream together with sugar and beat together for around 3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolk, and the flavorings and mix well.
- Add flour and beat again.
- Add nuts.
- Chill for 2 hours wrapped in wax paper.
- Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
- Place on wax paper and cool for 10 minutes, cover cookies in powdered sugar while slightly warm, then again when completely cooled.
Calories
186.84Fat (grams)
13.00Sat. Fat (grams)
5.44Carbs (grams)
14.93Fiber (grams)
1.16Net carbs
13.77Sugar (grams)
3.95Protein (grams)
2.32Sodium (milligrams)
62.26Cholesterol (grams)
28.02Pin for Later
More Recipes To Try:
25 Holiday Cookies
One-Stop Cookie Shop
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2020.