Cherry Pistachio Snowballs
Tender butter cookies filled with maraschino cherries and toasted pistachios, rolled in sparkling sugar for a festive finish.
Servings: 48 cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup pistachios toasted and chopped
- ¼ cup maraschino cherries drained, patted dry, and chopped
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar for rolling
- ¼ cup red sanding sugar or edible glitter for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Press them between several layers of paper towels and blot firmly until the towels come away nearly dry.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, confectioner's sugar, almond extract, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Reduce speed to low and slowly add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.
- Add the toasted pistachios and dried cherries and mix until evenly distributed.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until golden brown and cracked on top. Start checking at 8 minutes, as size will affect timing.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Combine the confectioner's sugar and red sanding sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll cooled cookies until fully coated.
Notes
Doneness cue: The cookies are ready when the tops are golden and show small surface cracks. Start checking at 8 minutes; overbaked snowballs lose their tender, crumbly texture.
Drying the cherries: Press drained cherries firmly between several layers of paper towels until nearly dry. Residual syrup affects dough hydration and the final texture of the baked cookie.
Pistachios: Use shelled, unsalted pistachios and chop them so the pieces distribute evenly throughout the dough for crunch in every bite.
Drying the cherries: Press drained cherries firmly between several layers of paper towels until nearly dry. Residual syrup affects dough hydration and the final texture of the baked cookie.
Pistachios: Use shelled, unsalted pistachios and chop them so the pieces distribute evenly throughout the dough for crunch in every bite.
Nutrition
Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.3mg