Clementine Snowball Cookies

"Really, Mom?" my daughter deadpanned. "Give them a chance!" I implored.

She was not pleased that I would take one of her favorite holiday cookies and... add orange flavor to it.

But not just orange, clementine! Sweet clementines with their bright citrus-floral flavor go so well with the walnuts, sugar and butter in this cookie. You just add zest and juice to a basic snowball recipe and, voilá, a modest and delicious variation on an all-time-great. Even my skeptical offspring had to agree.

Clementine Snowball Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups walnuts

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons clementine juice

1 tablespoon clementine zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325º. Finely chop walnuts. Put 1½ cups of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or pie tin and set aside. Cream butter and remaining ½ cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add zest, juice and vanilla and beat to combine. Mix in walnuts and flour. Take teaspoonfuls of dough and roll into balls, Place on ungreased (or parchment lined) sheet pans. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until slightly brown on the edges. Remove from oven and put in powdered sugar pan. Roll gently and place on wire racks. When cool, sift more powdered sugar over the top.

Before baking - don't these look a bit like potatoes?

A frolic in the snow

And ready to go