Description
Cherry Christmas Cookies are festive, buttery treats loaded with chopped nuts and colorful candied cherries, perfect for holiday celebrations. These soft, flavorful cookies combine the richness of butter and vanilla with the sweetness of powdered sugar and candied fruits, baked to a light golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 2 cups candied cherries, quartered (red, green, or a combination)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, ensuring even sweetness and smooth texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture, mixing well to combine all flavors.
- Incorporate Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour while mixing slowly until a well-formed dough develops without lumps.
- Fold in Cherries and Nuts: Gently fold the quartered candied cherries and chopped nuts into the dough, ensuring even distribution without breaking the cherries.
- Shape Dough Logs: Place about one third of the dough onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Using your hands, roll it into a log approximately 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log securely in the paper and seal the ends.
- Chill Dough: Repeat the rolling process with the remaining dough in two more portions. Place all wrapped dough logs in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours to firm up the dough for slicing.
- Slice Dough: Remove the dough logs from the refrigerator and unwrap them. Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into 1/4 inch thick rounds, taking care to keep the slices even.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the sliced dough rounds on the sheet, leaving space between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool slightly before serving or storing.
Notes
- Use red or green candied cherries for a traditional festive look and flavor.
- Ensure the dough is chilled thoroughly before slicing to maintain cookie shape during baking.
- Chopped nuts can be substituted with walnuts or pecans based on preference.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
- For extra flavor, consider adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
