Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets

• Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This will help ensure that the cookies don’t stick to the pans and bake evenly.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

• In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Set this bowl aside. If you’re using nuts like chopped walnuts or pecans, add them to the flour mixture as well.

Cream the Butter and Sugar

• In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together 1 cup of softened unsalted butter and ½ cup of powdered sugar. Beat the mixture on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are well combined and light in texture.

Add Vanilla Extract

• Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, and beat until fully incorporated. Vanilla enhances the flavor of these cookies and complements the cinnamon sugar coating.

Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

• Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet butter mixture, mixing on low speed. Continue mixing until the dough comes together and is fully combined. The dough will be slightly crumbly, which is perfect for creating the melt-in-your-mouth texture of these cookies.

Shape the Dough into Balls

• Using your hands or a small cookie scoop, roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. You should aim for uniform-sized balls to ensure that the cookies bake evenly. If you’d like, you can gently press the dough balls down slightly, but this is optional.

Bake the Cookies

• Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Be sure to check the cookies during the last few minutes of baking, as ovens can vary. The cookies will firm up a little more as they cool, so don’t worry if they’re soft when they first come out of the oven.

Prepare the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• While the cookies are baking, prepare the cinnamon sugar coating. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Stir to combine evenly. This will be used to coat the cookies once they are baked and slightly cooled.

Cool the Cookies and Coat with Cinnamon Sugar

• Once the cookies are done baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. This resting period ensures the cookies will hold their shape when handled. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While the cookies are still slightly warm, roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Gently toss each cookie in the sugar mixture, ensuring it is evenly coated. This final touch adds a sweet, spiced finish to the cookies and gives them their signature snowball look.

Serve and Enjoy!

• Once the cookies have cooled and been rolled in cinnamon sugar, they’re ready to be served! These Cinnamon Sugar Snowball Cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, or as a sweet treat to enjoy with a hot cup of cocoa. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or freeze them for longer storage.

Tips for Perfect Cinnamon Sugar Snowball Cookies

1. Use Softened Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature before mixing. Cold butter can make the dough difficult to handle and affect the texture of the cookies.
2. Don’t Overmix the Dough: When combining the dry and wet ingredients, mix just until the dough comes together. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.
3. Chill the Dough (Optional): If you want the dough to hold its shape better while baking, you can chill the dough for 30 minutes to an hour before rolling it into balls. This step is optional but can help the cookies bake more evenly.
4. Roll in Cinnamon Sugar While Warm: It’s best to roll the cookies in cinnamon sugar while they are still slightly warm. The warmth will help the sugar adhere to the surface of the cookies and give them a nice, even coating.
5. Customize with Add-ins: If you’d like to customize these cookies, try adding different flavorings or mix-ins such as finely chopped pecans, walnuts, or even a few mini chocolate chips.
6. Watch the Baking Time: Keep an eye on your cookies as they bake. If you bake them too long, they will lose their melt-in-your-mouth quality and become more firm. Bake just until the edges are lightly golden.
7. Storage Tips: Store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh. If freezing, arrange the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container, separating each layer with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.