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Cherry Snowball Cookies have become my favorite treat for festive winter gatherings and special occasions. Their buttery texture and bright cherry taste make them wonderfully jolly. These treats mix maraschino cherries, chocolate chips and finely crushed pecans for delightful bites that disappear quickly whenever I make them.
When I first baked these cookies, they filled my home with an amazing bakery smell. These days we bake them every December, packing them into containers for friends and relatives. Even the fussy eaters in my family always want more.
Collect Your Ingredients
- Butter: Softened to room temperature for better mixing and softer cookies, get good quality for richer taste
- Powdered sugar: Used in both cookie dough and coating for a soft texture, make sure to sift it first
- Granulated sugar: Provides texture and helps create golden edges
- Salt: Enhances sweetness and brings out all other flavors
- Almond extract: Adds depth and works wonderfully with cherries, try to find pure extract
- Vanilla extract: Completes the flavor profile, real vanilla makes a big difference
- Cherry extract: Boosts cherry flavor, find genuine cherry extract or add more vanilla if you can't
- Maraschino cherries: Create bright color and tangy taste, make sure to dry them well to keep dough firm
- Pecans: Add light crunch and nutty flavor, grind them finely for smooth texture, pick fresh unsalted ones
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of your cookie dough, measure carefully without pressing down
- Mini chocolate chips: Offer little chocolate surprises throughout, semi-sweet works best for balance
- Powdered sugar for coating: Creates the final snowy covering, roll cookies while they're still warm
How to Make It
- Preheat and Prep:
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and put parchment paper on two baking sheets. This gets everything ready for smooth baking and stops cookies from sticking.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars:
- In a big bowl, beat the butter with powdered sugar and granulated sugar at medium-high speed for about three minutes until it looks light and fluffy. This puts air in the dough and helps make soft cookies.
- Mix in Extracts and Salt:
- Put in almond, vanilla, and cherry extracts with the salt. Mix for thirty seconds so flavors spread out well.
- Incorporate Flour and Pecans:
- Using low speed, add flour and ground pecans in three batches, mixing just enough for dough to come together. Don't mix too much or cookies will get tough.
- Fold in Cherries and Chocolate Chips:
- With a spatula, carefully mix in well-dried chopped maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chips. Good mixing helps avoid wet spots in the dough.
- Shape the Cookies:
- Form dough into one inch balls. For more cherry goodness, push a piece of cherry into each ball as you make it. Set cookies two inches apart on your prepared sheets.
- Bake and Cool:
- Bake for twelve to fifteen minutes, turning the pans halfway. Edges should set but not turn brown. Let cookies sit on the pan for five minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Coat in Powdered Sugar:
- While still a bit warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar until covered all over. After they cool completely, give them another good coating for that perfect snowball look.
The maraschino cherries are what I love most about these cookies. They look like little gems in each bite and remind me of baking with my grandma every winter. Now my kids help me roll them in sugar and sneak extra cherries while we work.
Flavor Boosters
Try walnuts instead of pecans or leave nuts out completely for those with allergies. If cherry extract isn't available, use more vanilla or a hint of almond extract. Plant-based butter works too if you can't have dairy, though it might change the taste a little.
Serving Suggestions
Put these cookies on a holiday plate with chocolate crinkles and gingerbread. Enjoy them with cold milk, hot chocolate, or herbal tea for a warm afternoon snack. When giving as gifts, wrap in clear cellophane with a bright red ribbon to show off the festive cherries.
Creative Twists
Try using candied cherries instead of maraschino during Christmas season. Add some orange zest to the dough for a fresh spring feel. Switch pecans for thin almond slices to create a different flavor combo.
These cookies always vanish first at school sales and get-togethers. Sharing them has turned into my most cherished winter tradition.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- → Can I substitute the maraschino cherries?
Sure thing. Try dried cherries or fresh pitted cherries cut into small pieces if you want a less sugary flavor profile.
- → Do the cookies spread much when baking?
These cookies stay nice and round during baking thanks to their buttery dough consistency and low liquid content.
- → Can I use walnuts instead of pecans?
You bet. Finely ground walnuts work great as a swap and will add their own unique earthy taste to your cookies.
- → Why should the cherries be drained and dried well?
Getting rid of extra juice keeps your dough from getting too wet and makes sure your cookies turn out with just the right texture.
- → Is it necessary to coat the cookies in powdered sugar?
The sugar coating adds sweetness and gives them that classic snowball look, but you can skip it if you want your cookies less sweet.