Hi Bold Bakers! WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Magical Snow Globe Cookies add a wholesome sweetness and festive shine to your holiday decor. These whimsical snow globes go beyond the average decorated holiday treat—they’re cookie art! With my step-by-step instructions and effortless shortcuts, you’ll be crafting homemade ornaments that you’ll be proud to hang on your tree. Already have an account?
Crispy Irish shortbread are creatively decked out in snow-white icing. The clever filling forms a lustrous center, adding to your home’s joyful holiday glow. While the process may seem intricate, don’t worry! Each step is actually a breeze, and you’ll love the charming results.
Everyone, including kids, will love creating holiday wonderment with these snow globe-shaped shortbread ornaments, and we have more enchanting and delicious recipes from a party-ready Snow Globe Cake, to kid-pleasing Giant Single-Serving Christmas Cookies, to Frozen Whipped Cream, which transforms an everyday mug hot chocolate into a celebration.
Table of Contents
What Are Snow Globe Cookies?
Snow Globe Cookies are holiday decorations made from shortbread cookie rings (butterier and more crumbly than sugar cookies) held together with icing and filled with a clear, hardened sugar middle and sprinkles. Making a hole in the cookies’ tops before baking makes it easy to string them with twine, ribbon, or yarn and hang them on the Christmas tree. Using sugar glass, also known as confectionary glass or candy glass, in baked goods is a form of cooking artistry that became popular in the 1800s. Traditionally, sugar is melted and then hardened into glass-like discs, strands, or molded shapes. Here, we’re using melted candies as a timesaving alternative.
Tools You Need
Stand mixer with a paddle attachment (optional) or a hand-held mixer Food processor Mixing bowl Measuring cups and measuring spoons Cookie sheets and parchment paper Rolling pin 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter and 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter Wooden skewer Toothpicks Cookie spatula Whisk Piping bag with a tiny round tip Kitchen twine or ribbon
Key Ingredients and Why
Butter Butter adds flavor, softness, and moisture to baked goods. Make sure to soften before using. You’ll know it is at the right temperature when you push the butter with your finger, and it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through. Granulated sugar Granulated sugar adds sweetness to your cookies and contributes to the dough’s structure All-purpose flour All-purpose flour typically has a protein content of 8-11%, making it perfect for these shortbread cookies so that they aren’t too chewy or elastic. Salt Salt is crucial for bringing out all the flavors of the shortbread. Clear, hard candy (like Fox’s Glacier Mints or Perugina Glacia Mints) Using candy is a quick and easy way to mimic sugar glass. It melts quickly and has a fast set time. Any clear, hard candy will work there. Powdered sugar Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, gives the cookie icing its sweetness and bright white color. Using powdered sugar, made by grinding sugar with a small amount of cornstarch, gives this icing a smooth texture, ideal for piping and spreading. Corn syrup The amount of corn syrup in this recipe is minimal, but it’s crucial to include it, as corn syrup acts as a binder here. It holds the powdered sugar and whole milk together in a smooth, cohesive mixture. The corn syrup also makes the icing glossy and stabilizes it so the color stays bright. It also adds a note of mild sweetness. Milk Whole milk makes the icing pleasantly creamy but still easily pipeable and spreadable. Holiday sprinkles Snowflake white sprinkles are natural here, and add some colorful sprinkles as highlights.
How to Make Snow Globe Cookies
Prepare the Cookies Make the cookie dough: Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy. Add the flour gradually until combined. Shape the dough into a disc and refrigerate for at least an hour. Pulse the candy in a food processor until finely ground. Shape the cookie dough: Roll out chilled dough to a ⅛-inch (3mm) thickness. Use a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 16 circles. Place eight cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and use the 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut smaller circles in the center of the cookies. Use the skewer to poke a small hole in each cookie. Bake the cookie dough: Bake the cookies on parchment-paper lined sheets at 325°F (165°C) fan assist for five minutes. Add the candy center Add 1 tablespoon of ground candy to the cookie centers. Finish baking Bake the candies with the candy centers for 5 minutes more, until the cookies are lightly golden and the candy is melted. Roll out and cut eight more 3 1/2-inch circles and cut out 2 1/2-inch circles from the centers. Bake this batch without adding the candy, as these will be the middle layer. Continue cutting and baking until you have enough rings for 12 cookies in total: 24 filled with a candy center and 12 without filling.
Make the icing and assemble: In a small bowl, whisk the 2 1/2 cups (20 oz/600 g) confectioners’ sugar, milk, and corn syrup until smooth and put in a piping bag. (See recipe for detailed assembly instructions) To make a Snow Globe Cookie, take one candy-filled cookie and use icing to sandwich it with an empty cookie ring. Add sprinkles to the center, and then use icing to sandwich another candy-filled cookie on top. Pipe icing around the ring to decorate, and when the cookies are completely dry, thread with twine or ribbon.
Can I Make Snow Globe Cookies in Advance?
Yes, you can make Snow Globe Cookies in advance.
Make the dough, flatten it into a disc, wrap it well, or put it in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for up to two days. You can also wrap the dough well and freeze it for up to three weeks. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight before using.
How to Store Snow Globe Cookies
It’s safe to keep these Snow Globe Cookies on your tree as decoration for six to eight weeks.
Are Snow Globe Cookies edible? While these cookies are edible (and it can be fun to eat a snow globe!), they are designed with the intention of being an ornament. For something delicious, bake a batch of plain shortbread (without the melted candy) and decorate with the icing.
Can I make these without a food processor? Place candies in a sturdy plastic bag, and crush with a mallet or rolling pin. Freezing the candies first may make them easier to crush.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
Once you have cut out your cookie rings, check that the rings are as round as possible before baking. Sometimes, cutting and transferring the cookies can warp the rings a bit, making them hard to match up when assembling. This cookie dough gets a bit difficult to handle when it warms up. Roll out a small portion at a time to keep the dough cooler, and after you cut out the big circles, you can place the trays in the refrigerator to firm up the dough before cutting out the center circles. When piping the icing to sandwich the cookies, be sure to use enough that there are no gaps between the rings, or you will have escaping sprinkles! Try making your own Homemade Sprinkles for a truly handmade treat!
More Holiday Shortbread Cookie Recipes
Irish Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies Homemade Walker’s Scottish Shortbread Cookies Perfected Millionaire’s Shortbread Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies Cranberry Orange Shortbread
