Gluten Free Cherry Pecan Snowballs Recipe

Gluten Free Cherry Pecan Snowballs Recipe

It’s the time of year for traditions. Beloved holiday decorations that only see the light of day in December are brought out and displayed, favorite recipes are lovingly prepared for family and friends and eager children across the world leave out cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.

My mother-in-law was a tiny Polish woman with a huge heart. Every year come Christmas we received metal tins and cardboard boxes filled with her famous Polish Wedding Cookies. These were savored by all, licking every speck of powdered sugar off our fingers as we devoured these family favorites.

I decided to take her traditional Christmas cookie and add my own twist. After all, this is how we create new traditions of our own. I added chopped cherries to her recipe and thus the gluten free Cherry Pecan Snowball Cookie was born. These cookies literally melt in your mouth. And they are a very good way of buttering up Santa on Christmas Eve just in case we weren’t perfectly good all year long.

Speaking of traditions, this month’s “Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free” event is Family Traditions. If you would like to submit your gluten-free Family Traditional Favorite, here’s all the info, deadline for submissions is December 27th, 2010.

In the meantime, from my family to yours

We wish you a Happy and Healthy Holiday and may Santa bring you everything your heart desires!

xo,
carol and family

Oh, and here’s the recipe for the cookies if you want to express your gratitude to Santa this Christmas Eve.

5 from 1 vote
Gluten Free Cherry Pecan Snowballs Recipe
Print Recipe

Gluten Free Cherry Pecan Snowballs Recipe

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 48 cookies
Calories: 78kcal
Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup superfine white rice flour*
  • ¼ cup superfine sweet rice flour*
  • ½ cup potato starch*
  • ¼ cup tapioca starch*
  • 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum*
  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar plus approximately ¾ cup for rolling
  • ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup maraschino cherries , dried well and roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Place chopped pecans in a baking dish or pie plate and toast in the oven until warm and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool. Leave oven on.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, starches and xanthan gum.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the ½ cup powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and flour mixture. Mix on low to combine and gradually increase the speed to medium, mix until the dough comes together. Stir in the cooled pecans and chopped maraschino cherries with a wooden spoon.
  • Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until the cookies are fairly firm to the touch and just starting to color. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes. Put the remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar in a small bowl and roll the warm cookies in the sugar to coat. Place on a wire rack to finish cooling. After the cookies have cooled completely, roll again in the powdered sugar.

Notes

*Note – 2 cups good quality all purpose gluten free flour blend can be substituted for the flours, starches and xanthan gum if desired.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Cherry Pecan Snowballs Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 78 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 28mg1%
Potassium 27mg1%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 119IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 5mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owner’s. This blog accepts free manufacturers’ samples and forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. Affiliate links may be included in this post.

Disclaimer: All nutrition facts on Gluten Free & More are meant only as a guide and may differ depending on product brands used or ingredient substitutions. Some errors may occur, so you are encouraged to confirm the recipe’s ingredient and nutrition suitability for your own diet.
Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.
Tags: Celiac Cherries Christmas Cookies Gluten-Free Gluten-Free Recipes Holiday Pecans Recipe Snowballs Sweet
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  1. Wendy @Celiacs in the House
    December 23, 2010

    Carol-These are beautiful with the added cherries. Your last month of posts have been full of creative twists, wonderful flavor combinations and gorgeous food photos. It's been a delight to visit your blog this month for a dose of holiday cheer and inspiration. Wishing you a Merry Christmas, my talented friend.

  2. Ricki
    December 23, 2010

    These bring back such memories for me! And what a stunning photo. Thanks for the recipe, Carol!And thanks, too, for your sweet comment on my blog. I feel the same way–it's been great to get to know so many wonderful people from the GF community this past year. Hope you and yours have a very happy, healthy, delicious holiday! Hugs, Ricki

  3. Vee and the Kid
    December 23, 2010

    Those look absolutely divine! Too bad my gf kid doesn't like things like that. oh well, maybe next year! Vee at http://veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com

  4. Donna
    December 23, 2010

    Thank you for a year of wonderful recipes! Merry Chritmas to you and your family as well.

  5. Stephanie
    December 24, 2010

    Beautiful recipe Carol! I just made a batch of snowballs, so I will definitely save this recipe to try next time (maybe for new years eve?!).Merry Christmas!

  6. Naomi Devlin
    December 25, 2010

    I love that you carry that tradition on – celebrating your mother is such a lovely thing to do.x x x

  7. Pingback: Merry Carol Inch

  8. December 15, 2011

    This is phenomenal! I am making this recipe this weekend! Yum!

  9. Mary Beth Elderton
    December 2, 2012

    Wonderful for the holidays! *pinned*

    1. Gluten Free & More
      December 3, 2012

      Thanks so much Mary Beth!

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