These Chocolate Cherry Cookies are a fabulous treat. A soft fudge cookie with a plump, sweet maraschino cherry right in the center and then drizzled with a chocolate fudge sauce.
Are you making cookie trays for the holidays? Small Batch Almond Joy Cookies and Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies are delicious and beautiful additions to your cookie trays.
Tasty Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Who could ask for more? Not only are these Chocolate Cherry Cookies a delectable treat, but they are so attractive. See what I mean! We love these cookies; they are perfect for the season. What could be prettier for the season than chocolate and cherry? If you like this recipe, you must try chocolate cherry cake, chocolate-covered cherries, cherry cheesecake, and cherry bars.
How to make Chocolate Cherry Cookies!
First, using a mixer, cream the butter and both sugars. Then add eggs one at a time and mix in. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Slowly blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then add the vanilla and cherry juice and mix just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for thirty minutes.
Smooth a little butter on your hands and roll the dough into one-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Using your thumb, press a small indentation in the center of each cookie and place a maraschino cherry in the hole. Bake for ten minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk on low. When melted, add the cherry juice and drizzle over cooled cookies.
How to Freeze Chocolate Cherry Cookies
These gorgeous cookies are drizzled with a delicious fudge sauce; therefore, they need to be flash-frozen if freezing. So you ask what is flash freezing. Place the cookies on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil or wax paper. The cookies should not be touching as they will freeze together. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the cookies are frozen, double-wrap them in freezer bags and place them in a sturdy freezer container.
When defrosting, remove the cookies from the bags and place them on plates in a single layer. Allow to thaw at room temperature. Once thawed, these Chocolate Cherry Cookies should be stored in a single layer in an airtight container.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Use good quality cocoa. It does make a difference.
- Cover baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven and load the cookies on the middle rack so the heat is as even as possible.
- Use your thumb to press a small indentation in the cookie before baking. You want the cherry to be very prominent, so it is just a slight impression to get it to cradle on the top of the cookie.
- The fudge topping is semi-soft, so serve in a single layer.
- If you must have a stackable cookie, replace the chocolate drizzle with melted chocolate. Melt 2/3 cup of chocolate morsels according to package instructions. Drizzle and then allow to cool until set.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 6 days in the refrigerator.
The recipe is predictable and easy, and the presentation is party-worthy! They freeze well in single layers! Bon appetite, my food-loving friends!
Other holiday cookies you will love!
Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cherry juice from maraschino cherry jar
- 30-36 jarred maraschino cherries
- 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon cherry juice from maraschino cherry jar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream butter and both sugars with a mixer. Add eggs one at a time and mix in.
- Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup dry mixture to butter mixture at a time. Blending after each addition just until combined and scraping the side of the mixer bowl as needed. Add vanilla and 2 teaspoons of cherry juice and mix just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer and refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Butter hands and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Using your thumb, press a small indentation in the center of each cookie and place a maraschino cherry in the hole.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk on low. When melted, add 1 tablespoon of cherry juice. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
Notes
- Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Use good quality cocoa. It really does make a difference.
- Cover baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven and load the cookies on the middle rack so the heat is as even as possible.
- Use your thumb to press a small indentation in the cookie before baking. You want the cherry to be very prominent, so it is just a slight impression to get the cherry to cradle on the top of the cookie.
- The fudge topping is semi-soft, so serve in a single layer.
- If you must have a stackable cookie, replace the chocolate drizzle with melted chocolate. Melt 2/3 cup of chocolate morsels according to package instructions. Drizzle and then allow to cool until set.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 6 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Christina
I am wanting to make this recipe but I was wondering if I could use chocolate covered cherries (the holiday ones)in the center and then bake the cookie. Any info would be much appreciated.
Beth Pierce
Sorry that is not going to work as they will melt in the heat of the oven.