Cherry Snowball Cookies

What’s better than shortbread cookies? Cherry Snowball Cookies with chocolate chips and maraschino cherries of course! These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are made with plenty of cherry flavor, rolled in powdered sugar, and have such an addicting rich taste yet retain just the right amount of flavorful buttery pecan crunch that they are popularly known for. We love to dip the cookies into a cup of homemade hot chocolate.

Course Dessert

Keyword cherry shortbread cookies, cherry snowballs, cherry tea cakes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Servings cookies

Calories 179kcal

Author Jessica (swankyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1½ cups butter, at room temperature salted or unsalted works
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp almond extract
1½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cherry extract or emulsion see notes
½ cup maraschino cherries drained well
1 cup pecans finely ground
4½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1½ cups powdered sugar dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Beat butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes.
Mix in salt, almond extract, vanilla extract, and cherry extract (if using)
Drain cherry juice. Chop cherries. Remove as much of the liquid as possible with paper towels. Add to bowl and mix.
Mix in finely ground pecans.
Slowly beat in flour, ½ cup at a time until incorporated. Anywhere from 3½-4½ cups. See tip below.
TIP: Based on how much cherry juice is added to the cookie batter, the consistency of the dough may change. To fix this, simply add more flour or add a splash of milk is too much flour is added.
Slowly mix in or stir in chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will make the dough easier to work with.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop 1½ tbsp dough and roll into a round ball.
TIP: If using a cookie scoop and the dough is sticky, dip it in a bowl of powdered sugar between each scoop.
Place on baking sheet spaced 1-inch apart.
Bake in oven 15-17 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Roll cookies in powdered sugar.
TIP: I coat mine a second time after they have completely cooled.
Store in an air-tight container.

Nutrition