Chocolate Cherry Snowball Cookies
Tender, buttery cookies with sweet candied cherries, rolled in powdered sugar and finished with a dark chocolate drizzle.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, 227g
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus 1/2 cup (60g) for rolling, 60g
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup candied cherries finely chopped, 200g
- 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips 90g
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter until it's smooth and creamy. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the almond extract.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix just until a dough forms. Use a spatula to stir in the finely chopped candied cherries.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are just lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes; they will be fragile.
- While the cookies are still warm, place the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a small bowl. Gently roll each warm cookie in the sugar to coat. Transfer the coated cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are cool, place the chocolate chips in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. You can also melt the chocolate in a small resealable bag and snip off a corner.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies. Let the cookies stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
Notes
To keep the cookies tender, be careful not to overbake them. The tops will still look pale, but the bottoms should be lightly golden.
Candied cherries can be sticky. To make chopping easier, you can lightly flour your knife or use kitchen shears.
Make sure the cookies are completely cool before drizzling with chocolate. This helps the chocolate set properly and prevents it from melting the powdered sugar coating.