1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted cashews
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup pecan halves
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cream butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt and cinnamon; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely ground. Mix nuts into dough.
2. Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans 10 minutes.
3. Place remaining confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Roll slightly cooled cookies in sugar; return cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Roll cookies in sugar again just before serving.
This super-crunchy, not-too-sweet cookie is a fun update on the classic snowball. I used cashews, macadamia nuts and pecans, but you can mix and match other nuts to your liking.
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
YIELD: about 6 dozen.