Cherry Snowball Truffles

This truffle is a sweet combination of coconut, red and green candied cherries, and sweetened condensed milk. Cherry Snowball Truffles are just slightly soft and gooey. These are not only extremely festive, but super easy to make and freezer-friendly too!

Lord Byron’s 12 Truffles of Christmas is well underway now. In fact, we only have five more truffle recipes to go, including today’s Cherry Snowball Truffles! This coming Friday I will publish the last truffle recipe in the series. So far, we’ve covered old-fashioned classics, like the Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Truffle, and the Hazelnut Irish Cream Truffles.

I’ve spent a lot of time so far showing you how you can make truffles from pre-made, store-bought ingredients. I never once said that you have to reinvent the wheel just to make something new and exciting! We used store-bought shortbread, cake, cupcakes, and even donuts to make some super delicious truffles! Do you have a favourite yet? I think my favourite so far was the Old Fashioned Sour Cream Glazed Donut Truffles. They were so good, I dream about them!

Today, we are talking about these Cherry Snowball Truffles. I know I’m going to get emails about this one! “Lord Byron, truffles have to be made with chocolate!” I say, no! Truffles can be made with whatever you want to make them with – like shortbread, cake, cupcakes, and donuts! Life is too short to play by all the rules, right!? So, break out your coconut and candied cherries; we’re about to break the mould and make truffles without a trace of chocolate!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Coconut – Baking coconut comes in sweetened and unsweetened and in different sizes.  Unless otherwise stated, use unsweetened coconut when baking otherwise the result might be too sweet.  Be sure to check the size too – is it supposed to be shredded, grated, etc?  The size of the coconut will affect the outcome of your recipe.
• Canned Condensed Milk – This recipe has not been tested with low fat condensed milk.  Depending on where you live, the size of the can may differ.  Be sure to have the full 14 ounces!
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies. 
• Candied Cherries – To keep things festive, I’m using both red and green. If you’re unfamiliar with candied cherries, you can read more about them in the next section!

MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!

Maybe you don’t care much for truffles. Or, maybe you’re impatient and can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s recipe will be! If either one of those applies to you, I have a remedy. Last year, I published a series called Lord Byron’s 12 Biscotti of Christmas. The year before that, I published a series called Lord Byron’s 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas. You can click on the image below and see the entire series on one page! Don’t worry, you won’t lose this page. It will open up a new webpage so that you can easily get back to these truffles!

CANDIED CHERRIES – WHAT ARE THEY AND WHERE TO GET THEM!

Some people call them candied cherries; other people call them glace cherries. Guess what, Dear Reader!? They’re the same thing! I was always led to believe that glace cherries were the smaller diced cherries that you would find in a fruitcake, but that’s not the case. Glace cherries (as well as candied cherries) are indeed real cherries contrary to popular belief!

Candied cherries are basically maraschino cherries that have been processed in a thick, sugary syrup. They become intensely sweet and take on a chewy texture, which works very well in baked goods. You can find candied cherries anywhere, but I always get mine from Paradise Inc., out of Florida. They are the brightest and plumpest cherries I’ve ever used. They will ship them right to your door too. You can find Paradise cherries here.

In this particular version, I added two whole cups of candied cherries. I love candied cherries and I love how the red and green colours pop when you bite into them. They’re perfect for Christmas! When I’m looking to use candied cherries, Paradise Fruit Company is my go-to source. They have the brightest, most plump, most perfectly round red and green cherries.  You can get all of their products online. Be sure to check out the website!

NOT ALL COCONUT IS EQUAL!

Does the type of coconut matter? Yes! In essence, when it comes to coconut to bake with, there are two kinds – sweetened and unsweetened. Those two types can be found in different levels of fineness and coarseness.

It’s important to use unsweetened coconut, otherwise, with the addition of the sweetened condensed milk and confectioner’s sugar, Cherry Snowball Truffles will be basically too sweet to eat!

You’ll also want to use medium shredded coconut. A large shred or coconut flakes will prevent you from getting a perfectly rounded shape. And, desiccated coconut is just too fine!

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

I always use Eagle brand, but you can use you favourite brand. Personally, I find that Eagle has the best texture and just the right amount of sweetness. In Canada, sweetened condensed milk comes in 14 ounce cans. I do think that is different from the can size in the United States, so please make note of that. You will need to use exactly 14 ounces. If you use too much, you will never be able to get the mixture rolled into balls. If you use too little, the truffles will be dry.

HELP! THE COOKIE MIXTURE IS TOO SOFT!

This is to be expected, Dear Reader. It will all depend on how quickly you can assemble Cherry Snowball Truffles. It’s very simple, really. If you find that it’s becoming too difficult to roll the mixture into balls, there’s two things you can do.

First, wash your hands. That’s right! The sweetened condensed milk is sticky to start with. As you roll ball after ball, a residue is collecting and forming on your palms. This will prevent the mixture from rolling properly. Wash your hands; dry them very well, and start again.

If that didn’t work, then your mixture has returned to room temperature and is now too warm to work with. Simply place the bowl back in the refrigerator for ten minutes or so to help cool down the mixture. Do not place in the freezer! You gotta practice patience.

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY SNOWBALL TRUFFLES:

Just like the first truffle in this series, the Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Truffles, this one does not need to be dipped cin melted chocolate. After making so many truffles this holiday season, not having to dip these Cherry Snowball Truffles into chocolate was a reason to celebrate! Making these really couldn’t be easier. This is how:

In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add 5 cups of the coconut and stir well until well combined. Next add in the chopped candied cherries and stir into the coconut and condensed milk mixture. Cover the bowl and chill for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, add the remaining cup of coconut to a bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Once the truffle mixture his chilled, scoop it out in 1 tablespoon portions. Roll into balls and immediately roll the ball into the bowl of coconut. Place the truffle onto the prepared baking sheet and continue to roll the remaining mixture. Chill to firm and that’s it! I told you it was easy!!

MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES!

Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!

STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING

When it comes to truffles of any kind, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop. Store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze these truffles, again, pile them into a food-safe, freezer-friendly container. You’ll want to ensure a very tight fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in! You can freeze these for up to three months. Enjoy!