Description
Cherry Snowball Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic snowball cookie, combining the sweet and tart flavor of maraschino cherries with crunchy pecans and mini chocolate chips. These buttery, tender cookies are infused with almond, vanilla, and cherry extracts for a rich aroma and finished with a generous coating of powdered sugar for a perfect festive treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Butter (Room temperature, salted or unsalted)
- 0.75 cup Powdered sugar (For dough)
- 0.5 cup Granulated sugar (Creates tenderness)
- 1 tsp Salt (Enhances flavors)
- 1.5 tsp Almond extract (Key flavor)
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract (Pure preferred)
- 0.5 tsp Cherry extract (See substitutions)
- 0.5 cup Maraschino cherries (Drained, chopped)
- 1 cup Pecans (Finely ground)
- 4.5 cups All-purpose flour (May vary)
- 0.75 cup Mini chocolate chips (Semi-sweet)
Coating
- 1.5 cups Powdered sugar (For coating)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Gather all ingredients for easy access.
- Prepare Cherries and Pecans: Drain the maraschino cherries thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Chop them into quarter-inch pieces. Pulse the pecans in a food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter with powdered sugar and granulated sugar for about 3 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add Extracts and Salt: Mix in the almond extract, vanilla extract, cherry extract, and salt. Beat the mixture for an additional 30 seconds to combine the flavors evenly.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and ground pecans in three separate additions, mixing on low speed each time until just combined to form a tender dough.
- Fold in Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place one cherry piece in the center of each ball before sealing it. Arrange the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking for even cooking. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes after removing from the oven.
- Coat with Powdered Sugar: While the cookies are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar to coat thoroughly. Once cooled completely, roll them a second time in powdered sugar for a thick, snowy coating.
Notes
- Ensure maraschino cherries are well drained and patted dry to prevent excess moisture in the dough.
- Pulse pecans to a flour-like texture to avoid large nut pieces that might affect the texture.
- Do not overmix after adding flour to keep cookies tender.
- Rolling cookies in powdered sugar while warm helps it adhere better.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to one week.
- Cherry extract can be substituted with additional almond or vanilla extract if unavailable, but it enhances the cherry flavor significantly.
