Vegan Snowball Cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Why do my snowball cookies go flat? ›

Why did my snowball cookies turn out flat? Snowball cookies should not flatten. Since they do not contain a leavening agent, the main factor to check is that the dough is chilled before baking.

If you don't refrigerate, they will come out flatter, more like a traditional drop cookie. Still good, but I love how they bake up if you refrigerate the dough. I find it easiest to make the dough the day before and they bake it up the next day or so.

Cookie baking temperature and time

Higher temperatures promote faster spread, while lower temperatures result in slower spread. Additionally, longer baking times can encourage more spread. Experiment with different temperatures and baking times to find the perfect balance for achieving your desired cookie.

Baking powder or flour in excess will cause cookies to rise more, making them more fluffy and cakey. Increased sugar will make them caramelize more and increased fat will make the dough heavier and richer, all increasing retention of water in the dough- these all add up to chewier cookies.

Italian wedding cookies typically contain almonds or hazelnuts and are flavored with almond extract, vanilla extracts and spices like cinnamon or anise. Mexican wedding cookies, on the other hand, use a combination of ground nuts such as pecans and walnuts, as well as butter, sugar and sometimes chocolate chips.

Butter keeps cookies fluffy in two ways. First, creaming cold butter with sugar creates tiny, uniform air pockets that will remain in the dough it bakes up. Second, cold butter naturally takes a longer time to melt in the oven.

Try decreasing the number of eggs in your recipe, or use egg yolks in place of whole eggs. Too much sugar, not enough flour. Using too little flour will prevent rising, and too much sugar will result in more spreading since sugar liquefies when heated. The baking sheet was too warm or greasy.

As they cool, the liquified sugars cool and harden, producing crisp bottoms and edges, and the air inside cools, causing the cookie to deflate slightly.

You Used Too Much Sugar

Like butter, sugar helps cookies spread in the oven because it liquifies when heated. Too much sugar and not enough flour could lead to flat cookies. If your cookie recipe calls for a high ratio of white sugar, it's likely that your cookies will turn out flat.