Description

These delightful Maraschino Cherry Cookies combine the classic flavors of semi-sweet chocolate and bright, chopped maraschino cherries in a soft, chewy cookie with a beautiful pink hue. Ideal for festive occasions or as a sweet treat, these cookies feature a tender crumb thanks to cornstarch and a balanced sweetness with light brown and granulated sugars. The dough requires chilling and a brief freezing step to maintain shape during baking, resulting in perfectly formed, flavorful cookies.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients & Mix-Ins

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ cups (267g) light brown sugar
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp pink gel food coloring
1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries, plus extra for garnish
2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for garnish

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Instructions

Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Drain and Chop Cherries: Drain maraschino cherries thoroughly and finely chop them. Set on paper towels to absorb excess juice.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and pale in color.
Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract for 30 seconds until combined.
Incorporate Food Coloring: Add the pink gel food coloring gradually, mixing until the desired deep pink color is achieved.
Combine Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a thick dough forms.
Add Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Fold in the finely chopped maraschino cherries and 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips gently into the dough.
Form Dough Balls and Chill: Use a #40 cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) to form dough balls. Press the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and extra chopped cherries onto the outside of each dough ball. Place on a lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes to help maintain shape.
Bake Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). After freezing, place 6-8 cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Remove when cookies look slightly underbaked to keep them chewy, as they continue baking on the hot sheet.
Finish and Store: After baking, optionally press extra chocolate chips onto any sparse spots while the cookies are warm. Store cookies uncovered at room temperature to prevent them from becoming soft due to moisture from cherries.

Notes

Gluten-Free Adaptation: Replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend, such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour.
Storing: Keep cookies uncovered at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain texture.
Make Ahead: The dough can be chilled for up to 72 hours before baking.
Freezing: Freeze portioned dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to baking time.