Pistachio Snowball Cookies with Rose and Cardamom -- the deliciously unlikely result when Betty Crocker meets the flavors of the Middle East. These cookies are award winning (LA Times Cookie Contest) and yet so easy to bake!
Another delicious sweet from my Tasting Jerusalem category is my date thumbprint cookies.
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A pistachio snowball cookie by any other name
Like most recipes, these pistachio snowball cookies with rose and cardamom have a story to tell. Snowballs, also called Russian Tea Cakes and Mexican Wedding Cookies, are the one cookie I recall my mother-in-law baking when she was alive. But with no recipe as reference, how to recreate this food memory?
She was a simple cook and a product of the 1950s so we checked side-of-the-box recipes. We turned to our cookie-baking group for guidance and the snowball expert emailed us the Betty Crocker recipe, saying her grandmother swears by it. Seemed like a good start.
Why you'll love this recipe
You'll love this recipe because these cookies are classic, easy-to-make and yet you can experiment with the ingredients. You can even adjust the bake time to achieve the crispy or melty texture that's just right for you.
The first time I baked a snowball cookie, my husband said it didn't taste like his mother's. But what was the variable? The type of nuts? The chopped texture of the nuts?
I switched from pecans to macadamias - thinking my MIL would have used those in homage to her Hawaiian birthplace. Still not quite right.
Then I "burned" a batch. Not really burned, just overcooked compared to a traditional snowball recipe. But we smothered them in powdered sugar to cover up the color and gave them a try. Voila! My husband said it tasted just like his mom's.
Ingredients you'll need
The flavor combination in this snowball - rose water, cardamom and pistachios - reminds me of a Middle Eastern cookie called ghraybeh. Graybeh combine ghee (clarified butter), powdered sugar, flour, rose water, and orange blossom water topped with a pistachio for an exotic shortbread-like treat.
Enamored with the exotic flavor that rose water can add to a dish - both savory and sweet - I decided to add some of this fragrant water to these buttery snowballs along with a pinch of cardamom as well as switching to pistachio nuts.
Sure enough, the combination of rose water, cardamom, and pistachio enhanced the snowballs without changing their crispy, melty texture.
- Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter so I can control the level of salt in what I am baking or cooking.
- Powdered (confectioner's) sugar: In addition to coating the outside of these cookies, this type of sugar helps create a soft, almost melty tenderness to these cookies.
- Rose water: Available online or at your local international or Middle Eastern market, this bottle of fragrant water will last almost forever and will quickly become a favorite secret ingredient. We even use it in savory recipes like this rose harissa. Just be careful with rose water - at the right amount it's floral in a lovely way - too much and you'll think you're eating dish soap.
- Cardamom: Available ground in any grocery spice section, it enhances both sweet and savory dishes.
- All-purpose flour: Nothing fancy here - just whatever brand of all-purpose flour you keep in the house.
- Kosher salt: I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt when I test any recipe.
- Pistachios: Seek out unsalted shelled pistachios. Trader Joe's almost always carries them.
Check out my pistachio snowball web story for a visual guide to making this delicious recipe!
How to make this recipe
Making pistachio snowball cookies is straightforward. And like most of my recipes, you can break it down into stages if need be.
1. Prep pistachios - toast and finely chop. I use a mini food processor.
2. Sift confectioners' sugar and flour (separately).
3. In a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, rose and cardamom.
4. Then add the flour and salt, then the pistachios - mix by hand if necessary.
5. Chill the dough - from ½ hour to overnight or longer.
6. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined sheet tray.
7. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes depending on whether you want my MILs version (more well done) or the traditional less-baked version. Once slightly cooled, roll in confectioners' sugar.
8. Sprinkle on a second coast once you transfer them to your serving tray!
Try not to eat them all before you pack them up for your cookie swap or put them on the buffet at your holiday gathering.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- This recipe is easily doubled if you want to make a lot of cookies.
- Experiment with a different nut or spice or change the rose water to orange blossom water or leave it out completely. Stick to the basic proportions and technique but don't be afraid to experiment with flavor.
- You can prepare this dough and refrigerate for up to a couple of days or pop the dough in the freezer. Breaking the process into steps really helps me fit in some baking when I can.
- I offer a range of baking time depending on whether you want to experiment with what we call "the burning secret" in our house or have the more traditional result. My MIL overcooked these a bit but my husband loves them that way. That's the 12-minute mark. Closer to 8 minutes will yield a more velvety, traditional result.
Once the cookies are baked, you can store them in a cool dry place for several days. When serving, dust a bit of fresh powdered sugar on if you like for a fresh, festive display.
You should refrigerate the dough for a short time before you roll and bake. But you can absolutely refrigerate longer. If the dough is too cold to roll, just wait a few minutes until it's soft enough to manipulate.
You can also freeze the dough for a month or so and use it at a later time.
Snowballs generally do not take on much color even when fully baked. If you keep them in the oven closer to the 12 minute mark, you will see some brown color develop. And, whether you cook them for 8 minutes or 12, don't handle them right out of the oven. Let them rest and slightly cool before you attempt the first roll in the powdered sugar.
If stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place, I find these cookies to be just as good 5 - 7 days later.
What to serve with pistachio snowball cookies
If you enjoy these flavor combinations, be sure to head over to our Tasting Jerusalem Facebook page and group to learn all about rose water, cardamom and all the wonderfully distinct ingredients found in Middle Eastern cuisines.
Want to stay regional? Try pairing these cookies with salep (aka sachlav, saloop, sahlab). It's known as the hot chocolate of the Middle East and always uses milk and rose water and is finished with cinnamon, cocoa, or pistachios. Would be a lovely pairing with these rosy snowballs.
Or make regular hot chocolate or a steamy cup of coffee or tea. Pistachio snowballs also are a great addition to a holiday cookie spread.
Free Printable Recipe Card for Gift Giving
LA Times Award Winning Cookie!
In 2016, I entered these cookies into the Los Angeles Times Annual Cookie Contest. They made it into the top 20 and from there, they were tested in the test kitchen by the staff. My cookie made it into the top 5!
I was invited to the test kitchen and the cookie was photographed and featured in their food section. So don't just take my word for it, ask the LA Times. These cookies are good!
More OMG! Yummy baking recipes
Jam Thumbprints, Baking Memories and a Cookie Party
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P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!
Pistachio Snowballs with Rose and Cardamom
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon rose water
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 â…› cups all-purpose flour sifted
- â…› teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup finely chopped toasted pistachio nuts
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together thoroughly the softened butter, sifted confectioners' sugar, rose water, and cardamom
- Mix in the flour and salt. Then add in the pistachios. At this point, you can mix by hand if you like.
- Once the nuts are thoroughly incorporated, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill. The dough can remain in the fridge for just a ½ hour or even overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees or 375 convection while the dough chills.
- To bake them, roll into 1" balls. Place about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until set but not brown - about 8 - 12 minutes depending on whether you appreciate the softer lighter original version or my MILs "burnt" version.
- Let cool briefly. If you handle immediately they will tend to crack or crumble. While still warm-ish, roll in confectioners' sugar. Cool. Roll in sugar again. (I used a small tea strainer as a sifter to put the second coat of sugar on.)
Nutrition
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Matt
Hi! I made these last year and LOVED them. My mom is gluten intolerant - I was wondering if you’ve ever made a GF version and what ratio of gf flour was used / what type of flour? Thanks!
Beth Lee
Great to hear from you Matt. This is what I would do. Start with this recipe from the blog Fearless Dining. Sandi is one of the best, if not best, gluten free bakers you can find. She has a recipe that is a basic snowball but with gluten free flour. Then change the nuts to pistachios and add the cardamom and rose water. If you read all the way through her recipe, she always says at the end which gluten free flours she tested with. https://www.fearlessdining.com/easy-gluten-free-russian-tea-cookies/
diana chesson
i am planning on making these, they sound amazing. i am assuming that unsalted pistachios are what i should use? thank you
Beth Lee
Yes - unsalted so you can control the salt in the cookies! Good question!
Rita Held
uhhh... so powdered sugar gets all over the place when eating these, right? I'm joking of course.
Beth Lee
Haha - not nearly as bad as glitter art projects :-).
Christine Lemieux
I make my mother's recipe for "Mexican Wedding Cakes" every Christmas. They are rolled into a cilinder, chilled, sliced and then baked and rolled in very fine sugar. They are made with finely chopped pecans. I am definitely going to make these pistachio snowball cookies this year! Thank you for the recipe and the wonderful post!
Beth Lee
Oh I just love to hear all the stories - thanks for sharing. Love the cylinder approach and I know making them with pecans is delish. Let me know what you think of this version. It's our family go-to now.
Christine Lemieux
Loved these cookies! Next time I will use a bit more cardamom. I think mine was a bit old, so I will have to figure it out. Great cookies, thanks!
Beth Lee
You can definitely adjust the cardamom or rose water up or down. Especially the cardamom. And I get the "old" spice thing - I just cleared out 4 drawers - oh my goodness! So hard to toss but old is often tasteless so got to do it!
Laura
Rosewater, pistachios and cardamom?! Be still my heart! I've got to make these because they sound incredible and I just love all your recipes!
Sandi
I am intrigued by the rosewater...It sounds like it really adds something special to the flavor profile of these cookies.
Beth Lee
It does Sandi - grab a bottle next time you are near the Int'l market. It lasts forever and you will enjoy playing around with the flavor. In the right quantity, it is beguiling. Too much is not so good but it's easy to figure out the limits 🙂
Rachel
I love the flavor of these cookies but mine didn’t keep their shape even after chilling in the freezer. They sort of looked like half melted snowballs. Are you sure there’s enough flour in this? Some other recipes I looked at had twice to three times as much dry ingredients like flour and sugar when they had one cup of butter.
Beth Lee
Hi Rachel - the recipe calls for 1 stick of butter, not one cup. So yes they would melt w that much butter! You can double the recipe easily - I do it all the time and then it would be two sticks of butter which is equivalent to one cup. Hope that helps.
Rachel
Ooh that's where I went wrong! I just could not figure out what happened. I can't eat dairy so I used one "stick" of Crisco, which is one full cup, not one half like a stick of butter would be. I will see if I can edit my stars in my review...sorry!
Beth Lee
Thanks Rachel -- let me know how they work with the equivalent crisco - always good to know substitutions. Happy Holidays and thanks for visiting my blog!
Tisha
1 stick of butter would mean how many grams of butter ? 50 or 100 grams ?
Beth Lee
1 stick of butter is 113 grams. Let me know if you have any other questions. One of these days, the US will catch up to the rest of the world and go metric!
Jackie
These sound great!
Beth Lee
Thanks Jackie!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
I absolutely love this flavor combo - and what a fun spin on a classic cookie!
Beth Lee
Thanks Ashley! I'm getting excited to start my holiday baking.
Jenn
Ohhhh that sounds so good! I love rose and cardamom. I made a sugar infused with rose petals, cardamom and cinnamon and use it baked goods and it is so, well yummy 😉
Beth Lee
So great to meet you - I love that we can use the word yummy with wild abandon and not make excuses about it! What a great idea on the sugar infusion - I have to try that!
Hannah
You made me smile, Beth! My mom made Russian tea cookies and over baked them til the edges were quite brown, then showered them in powdered sugar. Whenever I've had someone else's they melt in my mouth (quite yummy) but aren't what I recall from my childhood. I love your Middle Eastern take on these. They must have been a delicious hit!
Beth Lee
Your mom and my MIL probably would have gotten along famously! LOL. We'll have to bake them together when we finally meet in person!
Little Cooking Tips
Hi dear Beth!
We 've seen those on your Twitter feed and just found some time, to sit down and enjoy the post!:)
It's been a very busy Christmas for us, baking and cooking traditional dishes for the season!:) Even as we type those lines, we have a saucepan with syrup for melomakarona simmering on the background!
We hope you're having a fantastic Holiday season, surrounded by your loved ones!:)
Loved your cardamom and pistachio snowballs! We have some flower water left (from all the kourabiedes we baked in December) and it'll be perfect to try it with this recipe. We also just bought some pistachios from Aegina island (have you ever tried those? They're smaller and tastier than the usual pistachios you can find around), so the timing is perfect!
Thank you so much for the wonderful memories as well as the amazing recipe!
Sending you lots of love,
Panos and Mirella
xoxoxo
Beth Lee
I just love hearing from you! Your baked goods sound so delish especially w the local ingredients like those pistachios you describe. Looking forward to continued online conversations in 2016 and a hopeful opportunity to cook together sometime soon.
It is so interesting looking up your Greek cookies how there is so much similarity in one simple butter cookie yet so much nuance among all the different culture's recipes.
Hope you are enjoying the holiday season and I wish you a peaceful prosperous healthy 2016.
Little Cooking Tips
Just signing in to wish you a healthy, creative, joyful, happy 2016! May all your dreams and wishes come true dear Beth!
xoxo
Beth Lee
And same to you! One of them is visiting Greece - I'll keep you posted 🙂
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
What a fabulous twist on a holiday cookie standard! I adore cardamom and pistachios, so this is made for me - and while I'd make enough to share, I'm not sure I will 🙂
Beth Lee
Thanks for dropping by Laura. I like your spirit of not sharing 🙂 Let me know if you try them or a twist of your own and have a wonderful New Year!
Deb|EastofEdenCooking
Food memories are so powerful! My mom made these buttery little cookies too. She called them Russian Tea Cakes. Every Christmas a double batch was made and devoured. They are still a family favorite! But our family recipe has them baked just until done, they barely hold together. I am really drawn to your version with rose water, cardamon and pistachios, sublime!
Beth Lee
Yup! So much power in one little bite right? "Just until done" is definitely the typical approach but my MIL was more of a free spirit in the kitchen 🙂
Anu
These are the best cookies I’ve ever had in my life. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Beth Lee
Awww - thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you like them. You made my day!