Paan Snowball Cookies
Oct 14, 2024
These crumbly Paan Snowball Cookies are flavored with fresh paan leaves, and gulkand and are super refreshing to enjoy with a cup of chai or coffee!
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These crumbly Paan Snowball Cookies are flavored with fresh paan leaves, gulkand (rose petal jam), candied fennel and coated in powdered sugar. They are refreshing, easy to make and will make a wonderful treat to make and gift your friends and family. These will also be a great after meal treat for your guests at your Diwali parties!
Who has had enough of paan flavored desserts? Clearly, not me! If you are like me and can’t get enough of the paan ladoo, paan kalakand, paan cheesecake truffles then try these Paan Snowball Cookies next! These crumbly cookies have a melt-in-mouth texture and are flavored with fennel seeds, gulkand and fresh paan leaves.
It’s a good idea to end your festive meal with something refreshing and for Indian meals, paan is really one of the best options out there! While meetha paan is great, these paan snowball cookies are even better! Serve them with your tea or coffee to end your meal on a refreshing (and delicious) note!
Manali’s Tip
- I have found that the best way to give the cookies that snowball appearance is to add powdered sugar in a ziploc bag and then add 2 to 3 cookies to that bag and then shake well. This completely coats the cookies with sugar giving them that snowball look!
Let’s Make Paan Snowball Cookies
- To the stand bowl of your stand mixer (or use your hand mixer), add 1/2 cup of butter (114 grams) and 1/2 cup (60 grams) of powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar/confectioners sugar). I have used salted butter here but you can use unsalted. Beat butter and sugar using the paddle attachment of your mixer until creamy. You can also add a drop of paan extract (optional).
- Now, chop 3 large paan leaves using a food processor. You can use 4 to 5 paan leaves if they are on the smaller side. I would recommend using a food processor to chop them very finely. Add them to the creamed butter and sugar along with 1 tablespoon gulkand and 1 tablespoon mukhwas (use whichever brand or flavor you like). Beat using the paddle attachment until it’s all well combined.
- Then add 1 cup of all purpose flour (130 grams) to the mixture and mix until the dough comes together. The dough will come together on its own when you beat it using the paddle attachment but if it doesn’t, you can always use your hands to bring the dough together.
- Roll the dough into small cookie balls, I made each ball around 15 grams and got 22 cookies. If you make them bigger, you will get less cookies but I wanted them to be more bite sized. Arrange them on a baking sheet 1-inch apart. I also rolled some of the cookie dough balls into more mukhwaas. Now, place the tray in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. Chilling them before baking helps in preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Once the dough balls have chilled, transfer the tray to the oven and bake at 350 F degrees for around 15 minutes. If you don’t have a big enough baking tray, you will need to do this in 2 batches. The 2nd batch would usually need less time since the oven is already pretty hot from the first batch of baking. Once out of the oven, let them cool for 2 minutes and then roll in powdered sugar.
This sugar melts and adds to flavor. Then you let them cool down and roll again in powdered sugar to give them that snowball appearance. If you don’t care about the snowball appearance, you can skip rolling in sugar.
Freezing The Cookie Dough
You can freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months. Make the dough balls and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the sheet in the freezer for around 45 minutes for the balls to firm. Then transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze. To bake, take the cookie dough balls straight from the freezer and into the oven and bake. Add a minute extra to the baking time when baking straight from the freezer.
Important Notes
- You can use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour but the resulting cookies will be dense compared to the ones made with regular flour.
- If you want to keep the cookies less sweet, you can skip rolling them in powdered sugar and keep it plain.
- To make the cookies look more green, you can add some green food color but that is optional.
- You can garnish these cookies with tutti frutti or desiccated coconut. In fact you can also add these things in your dough. You can even add store-bought paan masala to the dough.
Paan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter 1 stick/114 grams, I used salted butter, make sure it's at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar 60 grams, + more for rolling, also known as icing sugar/confectioners sugar
- 3 large paan leaves betel leaves, chopped fine using a food processor, use 4-5 leaves if you find small paan leaves
- 1 tablespoon gulkand rose petal jam
- 1 tablespoon mukhwas use any brand of choice
- 1 cup all purpose flour 130 grams
Instructions
- Add butter (make sure it's at room temperature) and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to your stand mixer (or use your hand mixer). Beat using the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the butter and sugar is well combined and creamy. If you have paan extract, you can add a drop of it at this point but this is optional.
- Then add the finely chopped paan leaves along with the gulkand and mukhwas. Beat until well combined. You can use any mukhwas that you like.
- Then add the flour and mix using the paddle attachment until the dough comes together. If the dough doesn't come together, you can always use your hands to bring everything together.
- Now, make small dough balls from the mixture. I got 22 cookies, around 15 grams each. You can make these bigger if that's what you prefer. Then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 1-inch apart. You can also roll some dough balls into more mukhwas. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for 20 to 30 minutes. This helps in preventing the cookies from spreading when they are being baked.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Once the dough balls have chilled, transfer the baking sheet into the oven and bake at 350 F degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until they are browned from the bottom. I baked mine for 15 minutes. Once out of the oven, let them cool for 2 minutes and then roll them in powdered sugar (first rolling). Then let them cool completely and then roll again for the second time in powdered sugar. This give them that snowballs appearance. Garnish with candied fennel if you like and enjoy!
Notes
- Skip rolling them in powdered sugar if you don’t care for that snowball appearance. They are pretty good even without that.
- These paan snowball cookies have a soft, crumbly texture when you bite into them and go perfectly with a cup of masala chai or coffee. These are not crispy cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
