Celebrate the holidays with these delightful Cherry Almond Snowballs. Buttery and tender, these cookies are infused with almond flavor and studded with finely chopped glazed cherries, giving them a festive touch. Rolled in powdered sugar for a snowball-like appearance, these cookies are as pretty as they are delicious. Whether you’re baking for a holiday party, gift-giving, or just a cozy winter treat, these cookies will bring joy with every bite.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or substitute with vanilla extract)
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1/3 cup glazed cherries, finely chopped
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Coating:
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough : Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add the almond extract and cold water, mixing until combined. Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the finely chopped glazed cherries, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Shape the Cookies : Using your hands or a small cookie scoop, roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the Cookies : Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, or until the cookies are set but not browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Coat with Icing Sugar : Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll each cookie in the icing sugar until fully coated. For a thicker “snowball” look, roll the cookies a second time in the icing sugar.
- Serve and Enjoy : Serve the cookies immediately or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Conclusion
These Cherry Almond Snowballs are the perfect holiday cookie, combining the buttery goodness of a shortbread cookie with the sweet, festive flavor of cherries and almond. Their delicate texture and powdered sugar coating make them a joy to eat and a beautiful addition to any holiday cookie platter. Whip up a batch of these easy-to-make cookies and watch them disappear as quickly as a snowball melts!
Cherry Almond Snowballs: A Festive Sweet Treat
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or substitute with vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1/3 cup glazed cherries finely chopped
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Coating:
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough : Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add the almond extract and cold water, mixing until combined. Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the finely chopped glazed cherries, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Shape the Cookies : Using your hands or a small cookie scoop, roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the Cookies : Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, or until the cookies are set but not browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Coat with Icing Sugar : Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll each cookie in the icing sugar until fully coated. For a thicker “snowball” look, roll the cookies a second time in the icing sugar.
- Serve and Enjoy : Serve the cookies immediately or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.