A snowball/teacake-type cookie with a peppermint filling. A surprising update to a classic cookie!
Ingredients
- For the filling:
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy or candy canes (see note *, below)
1 drop red food coloring
- For the dough:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (hint: reviewers highly suggest peppermint extract!)
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (see important note**, below)
- For the topping:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy or candy canes (optional, not pictured)
Directions
- Make the filling:
- Combine cream cheese and milk in a small bowl. Stir in sugar, candy and food coloring; mix well. Set aside.
- Make the dough:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy; add vanilla. Stir in flour; knead until well mixed and soft and pliable. Set aside 1/2 cup of dough; shape remaining dough into 1-inch balls. Make a deep well in the center of each ball with the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill with 1/4 teaspoon filling. Use reserved dough to cover filling by placing a small flat disc of dough over the hole. Reshape if necessary into smooth balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake about 12 minutes.
- Make the topping:
- Make the topping by combining the powdered sugar with the optional crushed candy. Roll warm (not hot) cookies in the topping mixture. Set on wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- * To crush the candy canes, place in a plastic bag and bang on them with a hammer, or quickly zip them in a food processor.
- ** Important note: this is a vintage recipe from a time when sifting flour was a thing. In order to get the right quantity of flour, you MUST SIFT THE FLOUR FIRST, then measure it. Sifting flour actually reduces the amount of flour (by weight) that fits in one cup. If you measure before you sift, or if you don’t sift at all, you will NOT get the proper amount of flour and your recipe will be too dry.
- Originally published in the 1969 promotional booklet from the Wisconsin Electric Power Company. The entire 1969 Christmas Cooky Book is available for download on their website.