Save Room for Dessert…Cherry Balls

Hello!  Hope everyone had a peaceful, joyous, and love-filled Christmas.  Ours was lovely, just the three of us and the Wii.  Yes, we took the plunge and bought the Wii, along with numerous games, including Just Dance for Kids, which has been a source of amusement for Andrew, as he watches his two parents try to dance.  I’ll highlight our Christmas dinner later this week, as we have another Christmas celebration on Tuesday, when we’ll celebrate with my family.  For today’s post, I decided upon an old favorite from my childhood, my grandmother Josie’s cherry balls.  I posted my version of her chocolate spice cookies a few weeks ago, and I’ve meant to post these before now, I just never got around to baking them.  However, I received some news from my brother last week, and I decided that it was time.  I’ve always thought that these are a perfect cookie for a baby shower, particularly a baby shower for a baby girl.  Well, my siblings and I have only had boys, so there’s never been an opportunity.  Until now, that is, as my brother told me that he and my sister-in-law, Jody, are having a baby girl!  Yeah!  Finally, we can buy frilly baby girl clothes!  They have two boys, so she will definitely be the little princess, with two big brothers.  We’re all very excited and happy for the the entire family.  So, in honor of the impending birth of my niece, I present Grandma Josie’s Cherry Balls, albeit, an updated version.

Cherry Balls  
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup half & half
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 10 oz jar maraschino cherries, well-drained and chopped
  • Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl; whisk together and set aside.
  • Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla together for 3 minutes.
  • Add melted and cooled butter, milk, and drained cherries to butter mixture.
  • Mix in flour and pecans, mixing until dough clumps around paddle.
  • Remove dough from bowl, shaped into a large disk, and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Remove chilled dough from refrigerator, and using a small cookie scoop, portion dough onto parchment-lined or well-greased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes.
  • Allow to cool before glazing.
Vanilla Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
3-4 tablespoons milk
Powdered sugar
  • Heat butter and 2 tablespoons of milk in microwave until butter melts.
  • Stir butter & milk mixture into 2 cups of powdered sugar, adding more milk and/or powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
  • Glaze entire cookie and then place on rack until glaze sets.
Yield: 7 dozen.

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