Christmas Hazelnut Balls

These snowball cookies are a Christmas cookie tin staple, and the hazelnut version brings a toasty richness that pecans and walnuts can’t quite match. Just flour, margarine, ground hazelnuts, sugar, vanilla, and salt. No eggs, no leavening, nothing complicated.

The dough chills for 30 minutes before shaping, and that step is critical. Cold fat holds the balls together during baking and prevents them from spreading flat. You want set, tender cookies, not browned ones. Pull them when they look pale and feel firm to the touch.

The double roll in powdered sugar is what gives these their signature snowy coat. The first roll while still warm lets the sugar melt slightly and stick. The second roll once fully cooled builds up that thick, pristine white layer.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the 30-minute chill. Warm dough falls apart when you try to roll balls and spreads too much in the oven
• Bake until set, not brown. These should stay pale. Browning means overbaking and a dry, crumbly cookie
• Roll in sugar while barely warm, not hot. Too hot and the sugar melts into a sticky glaze instead of a powdery coat
• Sift the confectioner’s sugar before rolling to avoid lumps clinging to the cookies

Variations

• Pecan snowballs: Swap hazelnuts for pecans for a more classic Southern-style cookie
• Chocolate-dipped: After cooling, dip half of each ball in melted dark chocolate for a fancier presentation
• Espresso hazelnut: Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the dough for a coffee-nutty twist