Description
These Chocolate Cherry Cookies combine rich cocoa flavor with the sweet tang of maraschino cherries baked into soft, decadent cookies, finished with a melted chocolate drizzle for an irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (80g) dutch processed cocoa powder (not natural unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (213g) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp cherry juice (from maraschino cherries container)
Add-ins and Topping
- 1 container maraschino cherries (24 cherries for pressing into cookies)
- 3/4 cup (129g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (for melting and drizzling)
Instructions
- Prepare Cherries: Place 24 maraschino cherries on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess juice. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cherry juice for the dough.
- Preheat and Mix Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, dutch processed cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and the reserved tablespoon of maraschino cherry juice to the creamed mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
- Combine with Dry Ingredients: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a mixer on low speed or by hand just until the dough is combined without overmixing.
- Portion Dough: For regular-sized cookies, use a cookie scoop to drop 2 tablespoon-sized dough balls onto a silicone mat-lined baking sheet, spacing cookies about 3 inches apart. For larger “crumbl sized” cookies, use a 1/4 cup of dough per cookie spaced 4-5 inches apart.
- Add Cherries and Bake Regular Size: Make a slight indent in the center of each regular-sized dough ball with your thumb and press a maraschino cherry into the indent. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Add Cherries and Bake Large Size: For larger cookies, make an indent and press a cherry similarly, bake for 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
- Melt Chocolate and Drizzle: Once cookies are fully cooled, place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 3 minutes, stirring each minute until melted and smooth. Transfer melted chocolate to a squeeze bottle or a plastic bag with a small corner cut off, then drizzle chocolate over each cookie evenly.
Notes
- Do not discard cherry juice; it is added to the dough for enhanced flavor and moisture.
- Baking one sheet at a time ensures even cooking and consistent results.
- Use silicone baking mats or parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet before moving to racks to avoid breaking.
- The chocolate drizzle adds a beautiful presentation and extra chocolate flavor but can be omitted if desired.
- For chewier cookies, avoid overmixing the dough once dry ingredients are combined.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes (regular) to 15 minutes (large)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate cherry cookies, cocoa cookies, maraschino cherry cookies, chocolate drizzle cookies, homemade cookies, holiday cookies
