With a nod to the nostalgic Snoballs snack cakes, these buttery coconut cookies with chocolate centers are covered in a pink glaze and pink coconut! Did I mention the CHOCOLATE centers?!?

*this recipe was created with my friends at Adams Extract®

Mark and I can't stop eating these delectable snowball cookies, and I think your family will love them, too! 

Here are a few tips for making Pink Snowball Cookies:

1. Use salted butter. The recipe calls for it, and it really is needed. The glaze and the coconut are sweet, so the salt in the butter and in the ingredients balances that sweetness a bit. 
2. While I typically use gel paste food coloring for decorated cookies, Adams Extract® Food Color is perfect here. Just a drop of red tints the coconut and glaze the perfect shade of pale pink. 
3. The glaze will set up, but not as hard as cookies with royal icing. 
4. I tested this recipe using Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. These chips are slightly larger than regular chocolate chips. If you use a smaller chip, use 3 for the centers instead of two.
5. When glazing the cookies, place the cookies on a wire cooling rack over a rimmed cookie sheet. This makes for easy clean-up, ESPECIALLY if there's a sheet of parchment paper on the cookie sheet! 

How to Make Pink Snowball Cookies

Start by whipping up the cookie dough. I used both ADAMS BEST® Twice as Strong Vanilla and Adams Extract® Imitation Coconut Flavor in the dough. 

Once the dough is made, you'll chill it briefly, then use a cookie scoop to portion it. I use a #40 cookie scoop, which is about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons. 

Press two bittersweet chocolate chips into the center of the dough. Cover completely and roll the dough into a ball. Bake.

Once cooled, make the glaze. This pink glaze is oh-so-pretty! 

No mixer is required for this part, just a whisk. You'll want the glaze to be fluid and thick. It should run down the sides of the cookies but leave a nice thick coating. 

Finally, the cookies are topped with pink coconut!  

Pink Snowball Cookies are just so so cute, and everyone will love the chocolate centers! 

Pink Snowball Cookies

YIELD: 16-18 cookies

PREP TIME: 50 minutes 

BAKE TIME: 16 minutes/batch

for the cookies:

1 cup salted butter, cut into chunks

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ADAMS BEST® Twice as Strong Vanilla

1/4 teaspoon Adams Extract® Imitation Coconut Flavor 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

32-36 bittersweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli

for the topping and glaze:

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

red Adams Extract® Food Color

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons well-stirred coconut milk

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 teaspoons water

1/4 teaspoon Adams Extract® Imitation Coconut Flavor 

Make the cookies. Cream butter and sugar until combined and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and coconut flavorings. Sprinkle on salt, then add flour. Mix on low speed until combined, scraping down bottom and sides of bowl as needed. 

Chill dough for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

Scoop dough using a #40 cookie scoop, or use about 1.5 tablespoons of dough. Press 2 bittersweet chocolate chips into the center of each dough portion. Cover chocolate chips with dough and roll into a ball. 

Bake for 16 minutes. The cookies will be golden on the bottom and edges and just done on the top. Let sit on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

When the cookies are cool, make the pink coconut and glaze. Place coconut in a quart baggie. Add one drop red food coloring and shake until the coconut is uniformly pink. Set aside. 

Place cookies on the wire rack on top of a rimmed cookie sheet.

Whisk powdered sugar, coconut milk, corn syrup, water, coconut flavor, and 1-2 drops red food coloring until smooth. The glaze should be thick, liquid, and slowly run down the sides of the cookies to cover. 

The glaze will thicken, so work about 6 cookies at a time, spooning the glaze over, then sprinkle with pink coconut. 

Let the cookies rest as the glaze hardens. It will set but doesn't dry rock hard. Once set, store in a tin or cookie jar. 

Yay for pink snowballs!