Description
Cherry Pistachio Snowballs are delicate, soft-baked cookies featuring a tender crumb with bursts of maraschino cherries and crunchy pistachios. Coated in a sweet dusting of powdered sugar, these charming holiday-inspired treats are perfect for sharing at gatherings or enjoying with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough:
- 2 cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
- ½ cup pistachios, chopped (salted or unsalted)
Coating:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cherries: Remove the liquid from a 12-ounce jar of maraschino cherries. Place the cherries in a colander and cover with paper towels. Press gently to remove excess liquid, ensuring they are moist but not soaking wet.
- Mix the Dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are well combined into a cohesive dough.
- Add Cherries and Nuts: Carefully fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and pistachios, mixing gently until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Form the Cookies: Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop or spoon, form tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie as they do not spread much during baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 18-22 minutes or until they feel firm with slightly golden brown bottoms. The cookies should be soft-baked, tender, and not crunchy.
- Coat in Powdered Sugar: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Then, roll them one or two at a time in a shallow dish filled with powdered sugar, coating them completely for the signature snowball appearance.
- Enjoy: Once fully coated in powdered sugar, the cookies are ready to enjoy. Store any leftovers in an airtight container after they have completely cooled to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use cake flour for a lighter, more tender cookie, but all-purpose flour works well too.
- Be sure to drain and pat dry the maraschino cherries thoroughly to prevent excess moisture that could affect the dough texture.
- Chilling the dough helps keep the cookies’ shape and makes them easier to handle.
- You can substitute salted pistachios with unsalted if preferred, adjusting salt in dough accordingly if desired.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
