Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Instructions
- Preparation: First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking. This also makes cleanup a breeze!
- Prep the Cherries and Nuts: Drain your maraschino cherries thoroughly, then pat them dry with a paper towel. This is a crucial step to avoid adding excess moisture to the dough. Chop them into small, roughly quarter-inch pieces. For the pecans, pulse them in a food processor until they have a fine, flour-like consistency.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the room-temperature butter with the powdered sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
- Add Flavorings: Add the almond, vanilla, and cherry extracts, along with the salt. Beat for another 30 seconds to fully incorporate everything.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: With the mixer on its lowest speed, gradually add the flour and ground pecans. I like to do this in three separate additions, mixing until just combined after each one. Be careful not to overmix here, as that can lead to tough cookies.
- Fold in the Good Stuff: Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and the mini chocolate chips using a spatula until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape the Cookies: Roll the dough into one-inch balls. For an extra pop of cherry in the middle, you can press one whole, chopped cherry piece into the center of each ball as you roll it. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The bottoms should be lightly golden, but the tops will still be pale. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure they cook evenly. Let the cookies rest on the hot pan for 5 minutes before moving them.
- Coat in Sugar: While the cookies are still warm, gently roll each one in the coating powdered sugar. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely. Once they are fully cool, give them a second, more generous roll in the powdered sugar. This double-coating method is what creates that beautiful, thick, snowy exterior that makes them true "snowballs."
Notes
The most important tip is to manage the moisture from the maraschino cherries by draining and patting them very dry. Grind pecans very fine for a sandy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Do not overmix the dough after adding flour. The double roll in powdered sugar (once warm, once cool) is essential for the snowy coating. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.