Reader Recipe: Cherry Balls

Welcome to Reader Recipe Month! I’ll be posting your caker recipes every Monday and Friday throughout February. After all, what good is cholesterol if you can’t share it between friends?

It should come as a surprise to no one when I say that cakers love their balls. Cold, hot, cheesy, so long as it’s round, we’ll pop it into our mouths. (Which explains the high number of golf ball-related caker deaths every year.) A few weeks back, I was at a wedding when I met Caker Cooking reader, Debbie, who asked if I wanted her Cherry Balls recipe. I said, “I do.”

I had my heart set on red maraschino cherries, but couldn’t find any at No Frills. They only had green ones – and all the jars were dusty. Please, caker gods, if I ever get reincarnated, don’t send me back as a green maraschino cherry. I can’t imagine a lonelier fate.

Thanks for the recipe, Debbie. Knowing your delicious balls were waiting at home got me through the dark days.

Come back Friday for a reader recipe that takes you behind the candelabra.

Maraschino cherries and graham cracker crumbs
2 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut (see note)
1/2 cup butter, softened

Mix all ingredients except cherries and graham cracker crumbs. Roll around cherry, then roll in graham cracker crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Note: Debbie says, “I use sweetened shredded.”

Source: Caker Debbie