Snowflake Meltaways

SNOWFLAKE MELTAWAYS

12/14/2017

Snowflake Meltaway Cookies

Oh. My. Heavens. Snowflake Meltaway Cookies are tiny, little bite-sized snowflakes that melt in your mouth! And as much fun as trying to catch snowflakes with your tongue!

Now that the holiday baking season is in full swing, I wanted to share a perfect little cookie with you! This is the third of three fabulous recipes that I've created for Rodelle Kitchen for their month long holiday cookie celebration Cookies By The Dozens - the best of 2017 holiday cookies. You'll want to click on the link to make sure that you see and discover all of the wonderful recipes that the Rodelle Brand Ambassadors are sharing this year!

It seems like there has been a lot of chocolate and caramel going on, and I wanted to give you a special little something filled with a touch of pure vanilla and almond flavor that will just melt your heart...

Snowflake Meltaway Cookies

I just love this time of year and all of the holiday treats that we bake and share. Let's start with a delicate little shortbread that has NO EGGS - it's not a misprint! Powdered sugar takes the place of the granulated sugar you use in a traditional shortbread cookie, and it's that powdery-softness that just makes these MELT when you take a bite.

And with everyone looking for inexpensive imitation vanilla replacements because of the high costs of vanilla this year, please know that you can ABSOLUTELY taste the difference between imitations and pure organic vanilla and almond extract in your holiday baking. Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract was named Best Vanilla Extract in the Real Simple December 2017 edition - "with it's sweet aroma, dark color and lack of added sugars, this pure vanilla extract is as real as they come." Believe me, over the years I've tried so many vanilla products, but this my favorite brand by far - the best of the best!

With so few ingredients in these Snowflake Meltaway Cookies, I really wanted the pure vanilla and almond flavor to shine through - just as you do in all simple cookies and cakes. I always try to use the freshest and best ingredients that I can get my hands on, whether it's dairy fresh eggs, high quality butter or my favorite flours, fresh nuts or quality chocolate, but even before I starting blogging years ago, I always pulled out all of the stops when it came to quality ingredients for my holiday baking.

Topped with a snowy whirl and swirl of vanilla and almond buttercream frosting, and sprinkled with your favorite holiday sprinkles, these will disappear faster than melting snow! (For reference, I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the buttercream on top, and Sweetapolita sprinkles for something shimmery and wintery!) And as fancy as these look, they are one of the easiest and fastest cookies I've made this year!

Good thing that these little cookies are teeny-tiny and you can have more than one! Don't you just love little tiny things on a cookie tray too? Especially when they are this sweet and tasty!

Snowflake Meltaway Cookies

Light as a cloud, prettier than a snowflake, melt on your tongue...it doesn't get any better than these Snowflake Meltaway Cookies!

Time to turn up the Christmas music, because today is a snow day and I'll be making a blizzard-worth of these for our Christmas Cookie Wonderland! Happy baking friends!
Mama V

SNOWFLAKE MELTAWAY COOKIES

Tiny, bite-sized snowflake cookies that melt in your mouth! Another family favorite that we hope you will love as much as we do!

Snowflake Meltaway Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
Meltaway Cookies:
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Rodelle Pure Almond Extract

Meltaway Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Rodelle Pure Almond Extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Decorate With: Holiday Snowflake Sprinkles

HOW WE MAKE THESE:

PREPARE COOKIES: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, blending well.
Add half of the flour mixture, blending on low speed just until combined; add remaining flour mixture and blend just until combined. Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours (I usually refrigerate overnight).
Remove dough from refrigerator 10 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust oven rack to middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll into balls and space evenly about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake one pan at a time in preheated oven, until cookies are slightly puffy and edges have begun to set and the bottoms are lightly golden brown, about 11-13 minutes (mine took exactly 12 minutes). DO NOT OVERBAKE.
Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.
PREPARE FROSTING: With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy – about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and almond extracts and salt. Beat on medium speed until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add remaining powdered sugar and salt; increase to high speed and beat for a full 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Adjust as necessary: if the frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar; if it is too thick, add a tablespoon of additional heavy cream.
DECORATE with holiday sprinkles – let the fun begin!
Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container; these cookies freeze well!

YIELD: 36 bite-sized cookies

Originally posted November 2012; revised and reposted December 2017

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