Make a tasty treat for holiday potlucks

Our social calendar is wall-to-wall Christmas parties this month. Each invitation came with a request to bring a dish. To keep myself from getting bored I have volunteered to bring something different to all of them. In retrospect, I probably should have tried to make the same thing across the board. I probably won’t next time either.

I treated myself to a cookie from the Whole Foods bakery a while back. It was about the size of my palm, crackly out the outside, chewy on the inside and stuffed with almond slices. I liked it a whole heck of a lot, but at Whole Foods prices I figured I could probably make an entire batch for the cost of a single cookie. In the weeks since I have been on the look out for a recipe to duplicate the delicate flavor and textures. This one comes pretty close.

A calendar full of parties is the perfect excuse to do some extra baking. I earmarked this recipe and couldn’t wait to get busy making these little guys. When they came out of the oven The Little Helping and I dubbed them Almond Snowballs and declared them to be more than acceptable. It’s a good thing we all taste-tested one before heading out the door because our friends gobbled them up at the party. They have a thin crispy exterior with a very chewy center similar to nougat. Toasty almonds provide a third tasty texture and, while smaller than my palm, there are several delightful bites per confection.

We’ve got a full schedule of festivities between now and Boxing Day and, though I am on the hook for mostly savory offerings, I just might whip up another batch of these sweet treats to contribute a little more sugary cheer to the dessert tables.

Almond Snowballs

Prep time: 25 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes; Yield: 24 cookies.

  • 1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 3 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Toast the almonds:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the sliced almonds on an unlined baking sheet in one layer for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the almonds from the hot pan as soon as they are golden to stop the cooking process.

Prepare the batter:

1. Leave the oven at 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Use a heat safe mixing bowl large enough to hold the finished batter – at least 5 cups.

3. Warm about 2 inches of water in sauce pan. When it reaches a simmer place the bowl over the pot to create the effect of a double boiler.

4. Whisk the egg whites, confectioners sugar and salt in the bowl until the mixture is hot to touch (120 degrees F). Should take 3 to 5 minute.

5. Use an electric mixer and begin whisking at medium high speed. Sprinkle over the cream of tarter and add the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue mixing on high until the batter becomes glossy and holds stiff peaks when the whisk is removed.

6. Gently fold in the almonds.

7. Drop the batter by generous in generous tablespoons onto your prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart and use a spatula to lightly smooth the mounds.

8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes with the oven door slightly ajar. Create a vent by propping the oven door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. They will puff up a bit in the oven and still be soft after baking. Turn the oven off and let them hang out for another 30 minutes then finish the cooling outside of the oven. Remove sooner if the tops begin to yellow (No one wants yellow snowballs!). The outer shell will form as they cool.

Notes:

  • Assemble all the ingredients before beginning. It is difficult to interrupt the process once you get going.
  • Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

Approximate nutrition per cookie: 83 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, PP = 2.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.