Bake

Nibby Snowballs

by:
December 12, 2017
4.5
2 Ratings
Nibby Snowballs
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Makes 18 cookies
Author Notes

The smell of these nutty, nibby, sweet cookies coming out of the oven lets us know it’s December in the Dandelion pastry kitchen. Tender, light, and crunchy, with just a chocolatey hint of nibs, these are great to make with kids and are best served in overflowing piles to friends and family. The other flavors in this cookie are simple and neutral, so you can choose whatever kind of nibs you want: nutty nibs play up the nut flours a little, and chocolatey nibs will harmonize with them, too.
RECOMMENDED NIB PROFILE: nutty, chocolatey

Reprinted from Making Chocolate. Copyright © 2017 by Dandelion Chocolate, Inc. Photographs by Eric Wolfinger. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. —Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (150 grams / 5 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (100 grams / 3 1/2 ounces) whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup (56 grams / 2 ounces) almond flour
  • 1 cup (100 grams / 3 1/2 ounces) hazelnut flour or finely ground hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams / 3 1/2 ounces) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
  • 1 cup (120 grams / 4 ounces) cocoa nibs, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup (220 grams / 8 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240 grams / 8 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176.7°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and nibs on low speed. Add the butter and vanilla, and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. The dough should appear crumbly but stick together when squeezed in your hand.
  2. Scoop the dough into 1/4-cup (60-gram / 2-ounce) portions (using a #16 scoop is best) and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through to ensure even coloring.
  3. While the cookies are still slightly warm (but not hot), remove them from the baking sheet and toss them in a bowl with the confectioners’ sugar, coating the entire cookie. (We actually do this step twice to give them a nice even coat.) Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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4 Reviews

m.sharpe
m.sharpe December 21, 2017
cocoa nibs are always hard for me to find - can chocolate chips or carob be used to sub?
 
sticksnscones
sticksnscones December 19, 2017
These cookies seemed amazing, containing so many things I love. The problem that I had was with the cocoa nibs. Despite chopping them, some of them felt like like they were too hard & would crack a tooth. I used some that I had purchased from Trader Joe's. Any suggestions??
 
Rebecca Z.
Rebecca Z. December 19, 2017
Try turning down the oven and cooking these longer. I make a similar cookie with finely-chopped pecans, a mixture of half white, half spelt flour, baked at 250℉ for an hour, turning the pans every 15 min. during baking. The toasty aroma is amazing, without tasting at all burnt, and the crumb is delicate and melts in your mouth.
 
susan G.
susan G. December 15, 2017
My mother made wonderful cookies, including this one, which I think she called Mexican Wedding Cookies. You've come up with some tweaks on the basic recipe which sound enticing.