Cocoa Snowballs

The original name on this recipe is Red Velvet Snowballs but I'm changing it - they didn't turn out super red (like red velvet cake) and they taste like cocoa...so save yourself all that red food coloring and just make them "Cocoa Snowballs"! Don't know who to credit for this recipe, but I'm changing it a bit so it's mine now hahaha!

this is what the dough looks like before you
shape it into balls!

The dough is super crumbly, I'm talking seriously just a bowl of crumbs. I was surprised that I could get them to stick together and form balls - I measured the crumbs using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and put in my palm, then really had to squeeze/press/and shape it to make a ball...but it'll do it, I promise! I'm assuming substituting 1 tablespoon of water for the food coloring won't change the dough, why would it? Let me know if it does!

• 2 1/2 level cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (note: I used coarse)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) at room temperature
• 3 cups confections' sugar, divided
• 1 Tablespoon red food coloring (see above, I'd use water instead)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350' with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking, powder, and salt in a bowl.

2. Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating just until incorporated 1-2 minutes. Add food coloring (or water), vanilla, and vinegar; increase mixer speed to medium, and beat just until dough forms large crumbs, 15-20 seconds.

3. Shape dough into balls (about 2 Tablespoons each). Place balls, 1" apart, on prepared baking sheets; freeze 10 minutes. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until dry around the edges, 15-18 minutes. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks 5 minutes.

4. Place remaining 1 1/2 cups confections' sugar in a bowl. Working one at a time, gently toss warm cookies in sugar to coat. Return cookies to baking sheets to cool completely; reserve remaining sugar. Once cool, toss again in batches in the remaining sugar. 

Makes about 24 cookies. Working time 20 minutes. Total time 1 hour, 40 minutes

but look - it can be done, just takes some
pressing and shaping to get them to hold
their shape. 

Notes: I made these using 1 Tablespoon of dough each so they were smaller cookies; I did not do the whole bake high and low rotating sheet thing because I could fit about 25 on a sheet so just baked them in the middle of the oven. Since I made smaller cookies they only needed to bake about 10-12 minutes. These are a dry cookie similar to shortbread, I thought I overbooked the first batch because they were so dry - baked the second batch a couple minutes less and they tasted the same. I think I got about 46 cookies, I forgot already. 

Dave took these to a Holiday party and said everyone loved them - only "negative" comment was a woman said they left powdered sugar on her shirt. He said "my wife does that on purpose so I can't sneak any cookies at home, it leaves evidence" LOL.