After a long break from blogging, I’m finally back! I have been incredibly busy these past two weeks, studying for exams, writing papers, performing at concerts and rehearsing for choir. I am happy to be back to a more regular blogging schedule 🙂
Today’s post is a special one, as it is a collaboration with 10 other talented Canadian Food Bloggers. Amanda from The Cinnamon Scrolls is the one who reached out to me and I was so excited to participate!
The recipe I would like to contribute are these Coco-Kalikimaka cookies that are a favorite of my mine as well as my mom 🙂
Snowball cookies have always had a special place in my heart and they also hold a special place in my mother’s. When my parents first came to America in the 80’s, they were newlywed university students in Illinois. With a future of uncertainty ahead, my mom often felt homesick and anxious, however, she made some friends while studying to help her through any rough patches she may have had.
While living in Illinois, my mom befriended a woman named Jackie, who made all sorts of fabulous muffins, cakes and cookies; she also taught my mom how to play the piano. One of my mom’s favorite recipes from Jackie were her Christmas Snowball cookies as they were the perfect combination of rich, sweet and nutty.
It has been about 25 years since my mom first moved to Illinois; she had me a year after she and my Dad moved to Canada which was 20 years ago. Anyways, back to the cookies… Even though it has been 25 years since my mom first had Snowball cookies, she still talks about them fondly and when we were younger, she would make them on special occasions.
When I started baking, I wanted to put a spin on those classic Pecan Snowball Cookies because I knew that my mom LOVES coconut, so I thought it would be nice to put a hint of coconut extract and add a handful of coconut flakes into the cookie dough. This turned into another family favorite as the nutty pecans pair so well with the rich aromas of coconut. This cookie recipe results in a tender, rich and fragrant cookie that can be enjoyed by anyone, anytime of the year ❤.
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup of unsalted and room temperature butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp coconut extract (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cup of pecans, finely chopped
- ¼-1/2 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar for coating
- Preheat the oven to 350 F
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until well blended, then mix in the two extracts and salt.
- Dump the flour into the bowl and stir the mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture wet and dry just start to blend together. At this point, dump in the nuts and coconut flakes and combine until evenly incorporated into the mixture.
- Portion out the cookie dough into balls that are roughly 1 tbsp in size. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.
- Once the cookies come out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, then dredge them in a bowl of powdered sugar and set them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, roll them again in powdered sugar to get a pretty snowball effect 🙂
The fabulous graphic is designed by Chrissie of The Busy Baker, don’t you love it? I sure do 🙂
Here is the list of all bloggers participating in the collaboration as well as the links to their tasty treats:
- The Cinnamon Scrolls- Crispy Peanut Butter Bars
- The Busy Baker- Peppermint Chocolate Snowball Truffles
- Cocoa Bean, the Vegetable- Chocolate Truffle Hedgehogs
- My Kitchen Love- Butterscotch Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
- The Chewy Life- Coco-Kalikimaka Cookies
- The Viet Vegan- Vegan Caramel Popcorn
- One Tough Cookie- Apple Cider Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
- Liv for Cake- Polish Gingerbread Cookies
- Chew Street- Caribbean Sorrel
- Eat, Live and Play- Gingerbread Cake with Warm Caramel Glaze
- The Refreshanista- Gingerbread Cake with Maple Whipped Cream
I’m pinning these to try! I think I’ll swap unrefined coconut oil for the butter since I lack coconut extract.
What a nice story Angela! These look great! I’m adding them to my Christmas cookie exchange this week!
Why thank you Trudy! Happy Holidays 🙂
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had snowball cookies before, but they’ve been on my list to try for a while. These ones look perfect! I’ll be adding them to my baking list over the holidays :).
Thank you Olivia! I hope you will enjoy them, have a happy Christmas <3
You’re so thoughtful to make these for your mom. ? And to have added a personal touch with the coconut extract! A great take on your holiday tradition.
Thank you Samantha <3 I'm glad you enjoyed the story and recipe 🙂
Can I just say I love the name of this dessert??!?! It looks delicious! So fun collaborating with you all!
Why thank you, Charlene! I do love a tropical twist on things 🙂
Thank you so much for being a part of this collab, Angela! And for sharing your lovely story about your mother and her friend’s Christmas cookies! These look fabulous and will definitely be on my list for baking next year! I love pecans and coconut!
Thank you for collaborating with me, you’re so sweet Amanda <3 Have a merry Christmas!
My mom loves coconut too! These look perfect for a holiday cookie platter ^_^
Coconut for the win, am I right? 🙂
Oh my god, I am such a sucker for anything with pecans in it, and I love coconut too, to boot! It’s so sweet that your mom found a friend who was such a help to her; moving countries is such a huge and overwhelming thing sometimes! There’s no limit to the ways that having kind friends in a new place can help make it that much better.
You’re absolutely right, Alanna! She is thankful to have Jackie be a part of her life!
What a lovely memory behind these cookies! They look delicious and perfectly Christmassy 🙂
Thanks, Mel 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the post!