Description
Cherry Almond Snowball Cookies are a delightful and festive holiday treat featuring buttery cookies studded with finely chopped maraschino cherries and almonds. These snowball cookies are soft, crumbly, and coated with powdered sugar for a sweet finish perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy winter snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (90g) finely chopped maraschino cherries, well-drained and patted dry
- ½ cup (60g) finely chopped almonds (or almond flour)
Instructions
- Prepare Cherries: Finely chop the maraschino cherries and pat them dry using a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, preventing soggy cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, then mix in the almond extract for flavor.
- Form the Dough: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt into the butter mixture, stirring continuously until a cohesive dough forms. Evenly fold in the chopped cherries and almonds.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm it up, which helps the cookies hold their shape during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the chilled dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms develop a light golden color while the tops remain pale and soft.
- Coat in Powdered Sugar: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then, roll each cookie in powdered sugar. Once completely cooled, roll them again in powdered sugar for a snowy coating before serving.
Notes
- Ensure maraschino cherries are well-drained and patted dry to avoid adding excess moisture to the dough.
- You can substitute finely chopped almonds with almond flour, but whole chopped almonds provide more texture.
- Refrigerating the dough is essential for better shaping and prevents spreading during baking.
- Rolling cookies twice in powdered sugar creates the classic snowball cookie appearance.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
