Perfume-Inspired Recipe: Tropical Snowballs

The flavour is inspired by my tropical fantasy, aka Coco-Lime limited edition perfume (it came out in the summer and was snatched away before I was even able to post it on my website)!

Snowballs are my favourite holiday cookie, not only because they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and look pretty and dainty - but also because they require very little equipment! This recipe is a spin-off on our favourite home recipe. It's also a great winter past-time activity, as even little kids can easily form them into neat little balls. In fact, aside from making the dough and handling the hot cookie sheets - I let my daughter take charge of the whole process from start to finish!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup unbleached white wheat flour (or - for the gluten free option, use 1/2 cup each brown rice flour and tapioca starch, plus 1/4tsp xanthan gum)

1/4 cup icing sugar, plus more for coating

1/4 tsp Salt

Lime zest from 1 Lime

1/4 cup finely shredded coconut, unsweetened

1/3 cup roasted pistachios, peeled and slivered (be sure to use bright green fresh pistachios!)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (or use vanilla paste if you have - it's amazing!)

How-To:

- Combine flours (and xanthan gum, if opting for the gluten free ingredients) and salt

- Mix butter with the dry ingredients, until it is relatively smooth

- Add the coconut and pistachios and blend well with crumbs, using your hands

- Add the vanilla and continue to knead dough just until it can be formed into a big ball, and wrap in a plastic wrap.

- Refrigerate dough until firm - for about 1-3 hours.

- Line a cookie sheet with parcment paper or Silpat

- Form the cookies using a melon scooper for even shapes and identical dainty sized snowballs!

- Bake for 12-14 minutes (until they barely begin to become golden)

- Cool for 3-4 minutes, just until they can be handled without hurting your fingers!

- Roll in additional icing sugar.

- Cool completely on a wire rack

- Transfer into an airtight container. They will keep for 2 weeks and make a perfect gift, packaged in reusable cookie tins or jars.

* Equipment you will need for this recipe:

Large cookie sheet

Parchment paper or Silpat sheets

Measuring spoons and cups

Citrus zester/grater

Hand mixer

Wire rack and a large tray for cooling off your cookies

Coco-Lime limited edition perfume:

Coco-Lime
Citrus, Gourmand
Tropical cocktail of squeezed lime and coconut milk, and everything else that goes with. Coco-Lime is a mouthwatering beach fantasy in a bottle. Fun and invigorating!

Top notes:
Key Lime, Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime

Heart notes:
Ylang Ylang, Lemon Myrtle, Litsea Cubeba

Base notes:
Coconut Absolute, Massoia Bark, Vanilla CO2, Ambrette (Musk) Seed