Description
Delightfully rich and indulgent Chocolate Cherry Cookies featuring a tender cocoa-infused dough, luscious maraschino cherries, and a luxurious chocolate ganache center topped with a decorative chocolate drizzle. Perfectly balanced with sweet and tart cherry juice and chocolate chips, these cookies make for an irresistible treat for any chocolate lover.
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 and Mix-ins
- 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
- 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 ensure cookies don't stick during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to get ready for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Flavors: Beat in the eggs one at a time along with the maraschino cherry juice and vanilla extract until fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture in three additions, mixing well after each addition until the dough is fully combined.
- Shape Cookies: Using a cookie scoop, portion out golf ball-sized amounts of dough. Roll each portion into smooth balls with your hands and place them about 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Make Indentations: Use your thumb to gently press a slight indentation into the center of each dough ball to hold the ganache later.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11 minutes or until they've spread slightly and are just firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Ganache: For the chocolate ganache, add ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to a small bowl. Heat the heavy whipping cream in the microwave until hot, about 20 seconds. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for a minute before stirring vigorously until smooth.
- Fill Cookies: Spoon approximately ½ teaspoon of ganache into the indentation of each cooled cookie. Press one maraschino cherry gently into the ganache center.
- Prepare Chocolate Drizzle: Place the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips and the tablespoon of shortening or coconut oil in a small dish and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then heat for another 15 seconds or until smooth. Transfer melted chocolate to a small ziplock bag, seal, and snip a tiny corner off one end to pipe.
- Decorate Cookies: Drizzle the melted chocolate over each cookie using the baggie drizzle method. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
- Store and Enjoy: Store cookies in a single layer inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy your delicious Chocolate Cherry Cookies!
- Share Feedback: Leave a rating and comment to help improve and support more free recipes.
Notes
- Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh for up to 3 days.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute coconut oil for butter and use coconut milk cream instead of heavy whipping cream for ganache.
- Make sure eggs and butter are at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- If you don't have maraschino cherry juice, substitute with a teaspoon of cherry extract and 1 tablespoon water.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and for an easier cleanup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
