Sweet Maraschino Cherry Cookies That Dazzle and Delight Recipe
These Sweet Maraschino Cherry Cookies are a delightful treat combining the sweetness of maraschino cherries with semi-sweet chocolate chips in a soft, fluffy cookie. Perfect for festive occasions or a special snack, they offer a vibrant twist with pink gel food coloring and a subtle hint of almond extract.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- a few drops pink gel food coloring
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure cookies don’t stick during baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening and stabilize the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which creates a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and pink gel food coloring to the butter and sugars, blending thoroughly for uniform color and flavor.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a thick dough forms, ensuring all flour is incorporated without overmixing.
- Fold in Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the finely chopped maraschino cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Portion Dough: Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough and shape into balls on the prepared baking sheet to ensure uniform cookie sizes for even baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn lightly golden, indicating they are set but still soft inside.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling, preventing breakage and maintaining texture.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freeze cookies in a single layer for up to 3 months to preserve freshness.
- Use room temperature butter and egg for better dough consistency.
- Avoid liquid food coloring; gel food coloring provides brighter colors without altering dough texture.
- If preferred, substitute white chocolate chips for a different flavor profile.
- Omit almond extract for a simpler flavor if desired.
Keywords: Sweet Maraschino Cherry Cookies, cherry cookies, chocolate chip cookies, festive cookies, holiday baking, pink cookies, almond extract cookies
