Get holiday baking on a roll with snowballs

Advertisement

Advertise with us

These delightful little orbs go by many names: Snowballs, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Pecan Puffs. Whatever you want to call them, these nutty, subtly sweet cookies are a family-friendly bake — with easy and potentially cathartic steps (crush your holiday angst while crushing pecans) for kids of all ages.

Read this article for free:


By clicking the button above, an account will be created and you will begin to receive some of our recommended newsletters. You may opt out of any newsletter by visiting your Email and Communication Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of any email.

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Digital Subscription

One year of digital access for only $1.44 a week*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2024 (851 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

These delightful little orbs go by many names: Snowballs, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Pecan Puffs. Whatever you want to call them, these nutty, subtly sweet cookies are a family-friendly bake — with easy and potentially cathartic steps (crush your holiday angst while crushing pecans) for kids of all ages.

Would pair well with a tall glass of milk on Christmas Eve.

Today’s Homemade Holidays recipe comes from Free Press copy editor David Fuller and is an adaptation from an older edition of Joy of Cooking. This recipe makes about 30 small cookies.

Snowballs

Free Press Favourite submitted by David Fuller

Ingredients

  • 125 ml (½ cup) butter
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar, plus 250 ml (1 cup) icing sugar in reserve
  • 5 m (1 tsp) vanilla
  • 250 ml (1 cup) pecans
  • 250 ml (1 cup) cake flour or white flour, sifted

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  2. Beat the butter until soft, then add 30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar and blend until creamy. Add the vanilla.
  3. Measure and crush the pecans. (Can use a large plastic bag and a mortar to avoid making a mess.) Sift the flour into a bowl.
  4. Stir the crushed pecans and the flour into the butter mixture — it may be easier to do this with your hands.
  5. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter, and place on a lined or greased baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
  6. Place remaining 250 ml (1 cup) of icing sugar in a resealable plastic bag or container. After the cookies are out of the oven and have cooled a bit (but are still warm) place them in batches in the icing sugar and roll them around until they are coated.

Allow to cool completely. For best coating, roll them again gently in the icing sugar a second time when they have fully cooled. The bag or container of icing sugar can be saved for coating additional batches, if desired. This recipe can be doubled.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Eva Wasney

Eva Wasney
Arts Reporter

Eva Wasney is a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

Report Error Submit a Tip

More Stories

The wisdom of the double down

Allan Levine 5 minute read Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022

My late grandmother, Sarah Kliman, enjoyed gambling. She was never a big bettor, but she did visit Las Vegas from time to time.

Inquest into fatal shooting of Eishia Hudson concludes

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Preview

Inquest into fatal shooting of Eishia Hudson concludes

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Updated: 4:42 PM CDT

The inquest into the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Eishia Hudson by a Winnipeg Police Service officer in 2020 adjourned Thursday with an Indigenous ceremony after more than eight months of hearings.

“This concludes what has been a very long process… This is an important process, and it is a preventative process, and the goal is to see what can be done in the future to prevent a tragedy like this occurring again,” said provincial court Judge Margaret Wiebe.

The proceedings, which began in February, examined whether the use of force against the First Nations teen was appropriate and whether systemic racism played a role in the incident. The judge’s task is to make recommendations that could prevent a similar death, but not to assign blame or liability.

Wiebe said she intends to file the final report as quickly as she can.

Read
Updated: 4:42 PM CDT

Herd ushers in new era of men’s hoops with roster of newcomers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Herd ushers in new era of men’s hoops with roster of newcomers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026

The stage is new. The role, however, is a familiar one to Taven Vigilance.

For the first time since his days as a highly touted high school recruit at Oak Park, Vigilance will be asked to help drive the Manitoba Bisons offence this season.

An elevated role for the 6-7 guard, entering his third year comes as the Bisons turn the page to a new era of the men’s basketball program, having lost all five of its starters from a season ago.

Vigilance spent this summer honing his craft, knowing this opportunity was coming. He focused on his ability to dribble off a screen, in particular, which is a common demand of Bison ball-handlers who need to understand how to decisively read defenders off the pick.

Read
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026

Manslaughter charge in death of chef stayed because conviction unlikely: Crown

Dean Pritchard 2 minute read Preview

Manslaughter charge in death of chef stayed because conviction unlikely: Crown

Dean Pritchard 2 minute read 3:55 PM CDT

A manslaughter charge has been stayed against a man arrested in the death of a Ste. Anne chef because prosecutors did not believe they could prove the accused wasn’t acting in self-defence, a court heard Wednesday.

Jeff Wyness, 46, was arrested May 12, 10 days after 49-year-old Cameron Huley was fatally assaulted outside a home in the RM of Ste. Anne.

“Following a thorough review of all the evidence, including witness statements, forensic evidence and the applicable law regarding the defence of another person, the Crown has concluded there is no longer a reasonable likelihood of conviction on the charge before the court,” prosecutor Keri Anderson told provincial court Judge Helen Krahn.

Steinbach RCMP were called to a home just after 11:30 p.m. and found Huley suffering from serious injuries. He died hours later in hospital.

Read
3:55 PM CDT

Manitoba to open India trade office

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Preview

Manitoba to open India trade office

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Wednesday, May. 20, 2026

Instead of being stationed on Broadway, a Manitoba government employee will set up their own office — in India.

The New Democrats will today announce their plans to open a trade office in the South Asia country.

“We’re going to be continuing to expand our global presence,” said Business Minister Jamie Moses.

Government has slated $150,000 for the trade office, including the representative’s salary. A request for proposal will be posted online Tuesday, Moses said.

Read
Wednesday, May. 20, 2026

Cockerill’s already successful year keeps getting better

Mike McIntyre 3 minute read Preview

Cockerill’s already successful year keeps getting better

Mike McIntyre 3 minute read Wednesday, Mar. 29, 2023

Life is pretty rich these days for Aaron Cockerill.

Read
Wednesday, Mar. 29, 2023