Description
Delight in these rich Chocolate Cherry Cookies featuring a soft, cocoa-infused dough filled with juicy maraschino cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips, topped with luscious chocolate ganache and a drizzle of melted chocolate for an irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Maraschino Cherry juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate & Toppings
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon shortening or coconut oil
- 10 ounce jar Maraschino Cherries without stems
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside to prevent the cookies from sticking.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure even baking temperature.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the Maraschino cherry juice and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in thirds, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the dough is smooth and fully combined.
- Shape Cookies: Use a cookie scoop to portion out golf ball-sized dough rounds. Roll each into a smooth ball with your hands and place them about 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Create Indentations: Press the center of each dough ball gently with your thumb to form a small well to hold the ganache later.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until they spread slightly and feel gently firm to the touch.
- Cool Cookies: Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Chocolate Ganache: Place ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat heavy cream in the microwave for about 20 seconds until hot, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Let sit for one minute before stirring vigorously until smooth and glossy.
- Fill Cookies with Ganache and Cherries: Spoon about ½ teaspoon of ganache into the indentation of each cooled cookie. Gently press one maraschino cherry into the ganache center.
- Make Chocolate Drizzle: Combine the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips and shortening in a small dish. Heat for 30 seconds, stir, then heat for another 15 seconds until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate into a small resealable plastic bag, cut a tiny corner off the bag, and drizzle the chocolate over each cookie evenly.
- Set and Store: Allow the chocolate drizzle to set at room temperature before storing the cookies in an airtight container.
- Enjoy and Share Feedback: Please leave a rating and comment to share your thoughts on this recipe and help support more free, high-quality recipes.
Notes
- Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute butter with vegan margarine and heavy cream with coconut cream.
- If maraschino cherry juice is unavailable, substitute with cherry syrup or a teaspoon of cherry extract mixed with water.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure uniform cookie size for even baking.
- Allow the ganache to cool slightly before filling cookies to prevent melting the dough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
