Description
Delicious chocolate cherry cookies featuring a rich cocoa dough filled with maraschino cherries and chocolate chips, topped with a smooth chocolate ganache and drizzle for an irresistible treat perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cup 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 and Garnishes
- 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 it aside for later use.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s ready for baking the cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer on medium speed to cream the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, Maraschino cherry juice, and vanilla extract on medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture in thirds, mixing well after each addition until the dough is fully combined.
- Shape Cookies: Use a cookie scoop to portion out golf ball-sized amounts of dough. Roll each scoop into a smooth ball and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart.
- Indent Cookie Centers: Using your thumb, make a slight indentation in the center of each cookie dough ball to prepare for ganache filling.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 11 minutes or until they have spread slightly and are just firm to the touch.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Chocolate Ganache: Place ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 15 to 25 seconds until hot. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips, let sit for 1 minute, then stir vigorously until smooth.
- Fill Cookies: Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the ganache into the indentation of each cooled cookie. Press one Maraschino cherry gently into the ganache.
- Prepare Chocolate Drizzle: In a small dish, combine the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon shortening or coconut oil. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then heat for an additional 15 seconds or until the mixture is smooth.
- Drizzle Cookies: Transfer the melted chocolate to a small ziplock bag, seal, and snip a tiny corner off. Drizzle the chocolate over each cookie evenly. Allow the chocolate to set before storing.
Notes
- Store the cookies in a single layer inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to keep them fresh.
- To soften butter quickly, leave it at room temperature for about 1 hour before starting or microwave it in short bursts to avoid melting.
- If you prefer a stronger cherry flavor, gently fold chopped maraschino cherries into the dough before baking.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute the butter with vegan butter and use coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream.
- Make sure to allow the ganache to cool slightly before spooning it onto the cookies to prevent melting the cookie base.
