Buttery Almond Cookies

When I was a kid, holiday baking started in early December, when my mom and I would bake dozens and dozens of cookies. There were buttery spritz cookies, roll-out cookies, peanut butter blossoms—you name it.

This recipe for buttery almond cookies (commonly known as snowballs) is an almond variation on one of my favorite holiday cookies called Russian tea cakes, which are commonly made with walnuts or pecans. These tasty bite-sized cookies with a tender texture and rich almond flavor make a delicious addition to any holiday cookie platter. But you don’t have to limit yourself to making them in December. Go ahead and enjoy these buttery cookies any time of year with coffee or tea for a sweet morning treat or afternoon pick-me-up.

Ingredients for Buttery Almond Cookies

• Softened butter
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Almonds

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, cream the butter and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the vanilla, then gradually add the flour and mix well.

Stir in the chopped almonds.

Step 2: Form the cookies

Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Step 3: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown and the cookies are set. Let them cool for one to two minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 4: Roll them in sugar

Once the cookies are completely cool, roll them in the remaining confectioners’ sugar.

How to Store Buttery Almond Cookies

Store these butter almond cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze the cookies, but it’s best to freeze them before rolling them in the confectioners’ sugar. After allowing the cookies to cool completely, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Keep them frozen for up to three months, and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and roll them in confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Buttery Almond Cookie Tips

What’s the best way to chop nuts to make a butter almond cookies recipe?

You’ll want the chopped nuts to be the consistency of coarse meal for this recipe. To achieve this consistency, your best bet is to use a food processor. Pulse the whole nuts until they resemble coarse meal.

Can you toast the nuts to use in these buttery almond cookies?

Definitely. In fact, toasting the nuts will deepen their flavor. To toast the almonds, add the whole nuts to a large dry skillet and heat them over medium-low heat for about five minutes or until fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl to cool, then chop.

Can you flavor buttery almond cookies with almond extract?

You can. For even more almond flavor, replace up to half the vanilla extract with almond extract.

Can you use a different type of nut in this butter almond cookies recipe?

Yes, you can replace the chopped almonds with chopped walnuts, chopped pistachios or chopped pecans. Regardless of the type of nut used, all should be chopped to the consistency of coarse meal.