This Delicious Soft Snowballs Recipe is one I make very often in our home. Snowballs is a sweet treat we grew up eating. It was these delicious little round cakes with a hard icing in the centre and coconut all around. I promise once you eat them you will never want to stop.
These South African Snowballs are not to be confused with the Snowball Cookies.
Snowballs Recipe
I remember those days when my mum used to buy us Wareings Snowballs and donuts with mock cream in the middle. It was a treat we looked forward to. Whatever happened to Wareings.
Then I remember my office days when I worked in corporate (giving my age again) all the hungry young boys bought Snowballs when they wanted a treat. They loved dipping it in milk.
We have bakeries that still bake Snowballs but nothing as delicious as the ones we are used to. Every time I buy one I am highly disappointed.
A friend shared her mums Delicious Soft Snowballs Recipe with me years ago and whenever I baked those snowballs they were devoured.
My mum and my mum-in-laws request, whenever they visit me, is always this Snowballs Recipe. However, my friend said I couldn’t share her mums recipe because she had literally “stolen” the recipe and gave it to me.
Her mum doesn’t know I have the recipe so imagine her finding it on the internet. So I had to promise my friend I will not share the Snowballs Recipe with anyone.
I had to make a plan and create my own recipe for the people that always asks for my friend’s Snowball Recipe. These Snowballs Recipe turned out so amazing and nobody knew the difference.
Recently I had a whole bunch of family over and I had to make a ton of them. I know that just a few would not be enough for my hungry family. And trust me everything was finished in the blink of an eye.
Making the Snowballs
I don’t often say this but baking these Snowballs is a bit of a task. But it is so worth it. You have to pipe out the dough into rounds.
A piping bag works great for this recipe. You can cut a little hole in the piping bag or you can use a round nozzle. After it’s baked you sandwich them together with jam.
It is then dipped in syrup and rolled in coconut. Some add the apricot jam to the syrup but I prefer the jam in the centre.
I am also not particularly fond of the sugar icing that goes in the centre. But I will try a different version of the recipe soon. So for those that prefer the sugar like center can enjoy it too.
These Snowballs are also a little softer compared to the dry, biscuit like texture.
Storing the Snowballs
These Snowballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
More Sweet Treat Recipes:
Gulab Jamun: South African Recipe
Melting Moments with Custard Powder
Snowballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 375 grams butter
- 270 ml castor sugar
- 2 tspn vanilla essence
- 4 large eggs
- 3&1/2 cup self-raising flour
- 1/4 cup powdered milk
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- few drops pink food colouring
Syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1&1/2 cups water
Instructions
Syrup
- Add sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until syrup thickens a little
- Syrup shouldn't be too thick as you want it to penetrate into the little cakes
Snowballs
- Add a few drops of food colouring to the coconut and set aside
- Preheat Oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Cream the butter until light and fluffy
- Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy. Mixture will double in volume
- Mix in the vanilla essence
- Add the eggs, one at a time and continue beating until well combined. Add a few drops of food colouring
- Add the powdered milk and flour together with the milk and whisk into a thick batter
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and pipe out little rounds.
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 4-6 minutes
- Cool on a cooling rack
- Heat the apricot jam in the microwave for 30 seconds
- Sandwich the cakes with apricot jam. Dip in syrup and roll in coconut
Notes
- I made 65 mini snowballs but you can make them larger if you prefer. Please bare in mind that the dough spreads
- You can omit the powdered milk if you don't have any, however it does add a lovely richness to the Snowballs
- If you prefer you an make icing with icing sugar mixed with milk and sandwich the cakes with that instead of the jam
- If you don't have a piping bag you can use a ziplock bag, just cut a litle hole in one corner.
- I keep my syrup warm on the lowest temperature on the stovetop, this works for me and prevents the syrup from becoming crystallised. If syrup thickens too much, you can add a little water
I can’t wait to try these… I love that the ingredients are easy to find and the recipe is easy to follow.
Thank you Futhi! I hope you get to try the recipe soon 🙂