12 Days of Christmas Cookies
These easy No Bake Gingersnap Brandy Balls marry two of my favorite flavors: brandy and gingersnaps. With a heady dose of brandy in every bite, these tasty morsels double as a sweet dessert and secondly an after-dinner drink!
I have in general been known to add brandy to unexpected foods: pie, waffles, cranberry chutney, and chocolate peppermint kiss cookies! In light of that, you can imagine how excited I was to combine gingersnaps and brandy into one easy, no-bake cookie!!
They come together effortlessly with the help of a food processor and a microwave! The hardest part is waiting for them to set in the refrigerator.
Tart cherries are soaked in brandy and then combined with gingersnap crumbs, nutty, toasted walnuts, and powdered sugar! With the result that the effect is sensational!
Brandy is the star flavor, so choose a high-quality brandy or if you don’t like brandy, skip these and head straight to my Gingerbread Boys, Gingersnaps, or Molasses Sugar Cookies!
Much to my delight and to the disappointment of my husband, these No-Bake Gingersnap Brandy Balls taste like brandied gingerbread cookie dough with a hint of cherry and toasted walnuts! Without a doubt, headspinningly delicious…or that could in this case be the brandy. Hmm… In truth, doesn’t matter. They are awesome.
My husband would have, of course, preferred a coarser chopped walnut coating, which could easily be done to accommodate those who want a little crunch with their ginger brandy balls!
I loved the intermingling of brandy, gingersnap, cherry, and toasted walnut flavors. You can use homemade gingersnaps or to be sure a quality store-bought!
A note about the brandy…
It should be noted, because I try to do all I can to avoid disappointment around here, that brandy is the primary flavor. If you would like to tone down the brandy flavor and make it a nice subtle background note, then substitute half the brandy for filtered water. I also cannot emphasize enough: quality brandy is a must!
These No-Bake Gingersnap Brandy Balls are for the ninth day of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies.
- Chocolate Pecan Tassies
- Molasses Sugar Cookies
- Old Fashioned Gingersnaps
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Old Fashioned Oat Lace Cookies
- Raspberry Linzer Cookies
- Holiday Bark
- Cherry Pecan Cookies
No Bake Gingersnap Brandy Balls
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 18 Cookies 1x
Description
These easy No Bake Gingersnap Brandy Balls marry two of my favorite flavors: brandy and gingersnaps. With a heady dose of brandy in every bite, these tasty morsels double as a sweet dessert and an after dinner drink!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (1 ½ oz) tart dried cherries, chopped
- ¼ cup brandy
- 1 ¼ cups (5 ¾ oz) crushed gingersnap cookies (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 ¼ cups (5 oz) confectioners sugar, divided
- ¾ cup (2 ¾ oz) toasted chopped walnuts, divided (I toasted mine in a pan)
- 4 tablespoons (2oz) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, soften chopped cherries in brandy. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in gingersnap crumbs, 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup walnuts, butter, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Let the gingersnap mixture sit, so that it is firm enough to roll. While it sits pulse the remaining walnuts, sugar and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
- Roll the dough into balls approximately 1 inch wide and roll in ground walnut sugar. Place on a rimmed baking sheet or plate; cover with plastic wrap; and refrigerate at least 12 hours.
Notes
It should be noted that brandy is the primary flavor. If you would like to tone down the brandy flavor and make it a nice subtle background note, then substitute half the brandy for filtered water. I also cannot emphasize enough: quality brandy is a must!
Recipe adapted from Brandy Sugarplums from Fine Cooking, December 2014/January 2015
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
Tis the Season for festive desserts!
Grandma’s Molasses Sugar Cookies
Spiced Apple Cider Cranberry Cupcakes
Soft Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
24 Comments
David @ Spiced
December 17, 2014 at 6:32 amThat’s it. My mail-lady is going down today! Seriously, though, these cookies look awesome, Lindsey. I’ve never been much of a brandy guy myself. I usually turn to scotch as an after-dinner drink, but I think I could be persuaded to make an exception here. Actually, I just got the best idea…what about a glass of scotch with one of these cookies?? Done!
Lindsey
December 17, 2014 at 1:49 pmI’ve tried to like scotch. I’ve visited all the main distilleries but I just can’t. I just can’t. I don’t see why you couldn’t pour two fingers and then eat a brandy ball too! The holidays is all about splurging…or at least that’s my moto!
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
December 17, 2014 at 8:41 amI love how you described these as tasting like brandied gingerbread cookie dough! I’m drooling over the photos of the insides of these no-bake cookies!
annie@ciaochowbambina
December 17, 2014 at 8:59 amI must try these!! They are on my list for this weekend…I can’t wait!
Lindsey
December 17, 2014 at 1:45 pmI hope you love them, Annie!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter
December 17, 2014 at 10:11 amOh my gosh, this is such a creative cookie recipe! Gingerbread with brandy, dried cherries and no bake too? They sound absolutely amazing! >3 them!
Lindsey
December 17, 2014 at 1:44 pmThanks, Kelly!!! After all that baking, the roll and chill was very welcome!
Lelia
December 17, 2014 at 11:14 amThese sound both easy and delicious! Can’t wait to try them out!
Lindsey
December 17, 2014 at 1:44 pmThanks, mom!
marcie
December 17, 2014 at 12:07 pmI’ve never tried gingerbread flavor with brandy, and I’m intrigued. These beautiful no-bake truffle-looking balls look so delicious, and I so want to try them. I hope I can squeeze them into my baking (or no-baking) and fast! Pinned.
Lindsey
December 17, 2014 at 1:43 pmI hope you can squeeze them in, Marcie!
Manali @ CookWithManali
December 17, 2014 at 5:58 pmThese looks so cute and delicious! + No Bake! Yay, I must make them! Pinned.
Lindsey
December 17, 2014 at 11:07 pmThanks, Manali! We all need a no bake cookie around this time of year! Thanks for the pin!
Mira
December 17, 2014 at 7:17 pmI love the flavors in these-brandy and gingerbread, perfect for the holidays! Great combination and so easy to make! Definitely on my to do list 🙂
Liz
December 17, 2014 at 10:04 pmOh, my gosh, do your brandy balls look outstanding!!! I never drink brandy, but I keep a big bottle and love to use it in cooking and baking. Now there will be another 1/4 cup missing 🙂
Lindsey
December 17, 2014 at 10:58 pmThanks, Liz!! I don’t drink brandy either but I LOVE the taste in baked goods!!!
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
December 18, 2014 at 12:17 amI love shortbread style cookies shaped as balls. There is just something so special, so festive about them. Please, send me a dozen! 🙂
Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven
December 18, 2014 at 8:41 amOh my gosh, I am LATE to your 12 days of Cookies thing, and I am going to have to go back and drool over all the other cookie recipes! You know, after I can tear my eyes away from these gorgeous bites—holy yum what a fab combo of flavors! These are too adorbs. 🙂
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Sophia
December 19, 2014 at 9:11 amOh my these look sublime – wonderful idea! I’m going to give them a go with lotus biscuits as that’s all I have at home atm. Hopefully they will turn out as beautifully as yours!
Lindsey
December 21, 2014 at 7:20 pmI’m not sure what a lotus biscuit is but if it has ginger and cinnamon and all that good stuff, then they’ll probably be awesome!
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Linda
October 13, 2020 at 1:34 pmWhat else can you use besides cherries or apricots?
Lindsey
October 13, 2020 at 3:54 pmAny dried fruit!