Description
Sweet dreams come alive with maraschino cherry delight cookies, blending nostalgic charm and delicate flavors. Festive crumbly treats promise delightful moments that dance between classic comfort and playful indulgence you cannot resist.
Ingredients
Scale
Flour and Sugars:
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups (267 grams) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Chocolate and Cherries:
- 2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries, plus extra for garnish
Baking and Flavor Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- Small amount of pink gel food coloring
Instructions
- Meticulously sift flour to ensure a light, airy texture, spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling with a precise knife stroke.
- Gently pat maraschino cherries dry on absorbent paper towels, finely dicing to distribute evenly throughout the cookie dough.
- Heat the oven to 350º F (177º C), laying out a silicone mat or parchment paper to create a non-stick baking surface.
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing vessel, setting aside this critical dry ingredient blend.
- Cream butter with granulated and brown sugars, whipping until the mixture transforms into a pale, voluminous consistency.
- Introduce eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts, blending thoroughly to create a smooth, fragrant base.
- Infuse the dough with a delicate pink hue using gel food coloring, stirring until the color is uniformly distributed.
- Gradually incorporate the dry ingredient mixture, mixing at low speed until a thick, cohesive dough forms.
- Delicately fold chopped cherries and chocolate chips into the dough, ensuring even dispersal of each morsel.
- Sculpt the dough into generous spheres using a cookie scoop, strategically pressing additional chocolate chips and cherry pieces onto the surface.
- Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheet, maintaining ample spacing between each.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, watching carefully to preserve the cookies’ vibrant color and tender texture.
- Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for a quarter-hour, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
Notes
- Precise flour measurement ensures light, fluffy cookies by preventing dense, heavy texture.
- Thoroughly drain maraschino cherries to avoid excess moisture that could make cookies soggy and compromise the delicate crumb.
- Room-temperature butter creates a smoother, more even mixture that helps cookies achieve a perfect, soft consistency.
- Adding gel food coloring provides a vibrant pink hue without thinning the dough, maintaining the ideal cookie texture.
- Hand-folding cherries and chocolate chips prevents overmixing and distributes ingredients evenly for balanced flavor in every bite.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet initially to allow them to set and firm up before transferring, preventing potential crumbling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (per batch)
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg