Holiday Cranberry Snowballs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Christmas, North American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 32

Servings: cookies

Calories: 151kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Holiday Cranberry Snowballs are packed with sweet and chewy dried cranberries that have been reconstituted with a cup of hot tea. Prepared with the most basic of pantry ingredients, these snowball cookies are nothing short of extraordinary, and they taste so delicious especially with a splash of orange extract!

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Ingredients

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup hot brewed tea
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons orange extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablepoons orange zest
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sanding sugar

Instructions

Transfer the dried cranberries to a heat-safe bowl and pour in the hot tea. Use a spoon to push the cranberries down so that they are all submerged in the tea. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 320 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Add the softened butter to a mixing bowl and beat until light and creamy – about three minutes.
Next, pour in the sweetened condensed milk and beat into the butter for two minutes.
Beat in the orange extract.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again for another minute or two.
Finally, add the flour, orange zest, and baking powder. Beat into the butter and milk mixture until mixed through.
Strain the cranberries in a metal colander, being sure to use a spoon or spatula to push the excess moisture/tea out of the cranberries. They do not need to be completely dry, but most certainly should not be dripping with tea.
Transfer the cranberries to the cookie dough mixture and beat lightly just to combine.
Using a 2 tablespoon sized cookie scoop, portion the dough into mounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Be sure to leave at least two inches between each mound of cookie dough.
Sprinkle the tops of each of those cookie mounds with sanding sugar.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave them to cool slightly on the pan for five minutes.
Finally, remove from the baking sheet and transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Notes

This is an easy recipe and comes together very quickly. The first thing you want to ensure before you get started is that the butter is at room temperature. I cannot stress how important this is! If the butter is not completely softened, you will not get a dough to form with a consistency that will pack together well. The butter must be soft, but not melted, so do not put it in the microwave to soften it. Leave butter at room temperature for 3-5 hours or even overnight!

Nutrition