Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip (Printable Version)
Soft, chewy cookies studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and sweet maraschino cherries for a delightful festive treat.
# What You Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
06 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Add-Ins
09 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 - 3/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained, patted dry, and chopped
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in the chocolate chips, chopped maraschino cherries, and walnuts if using, distributing evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Drop tablespoon-sized scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers appear set but still soft.
09 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The cherries turn into little pockets of gooey sweetness that surprise you in every bite, and combined with chocolate they taste like a sundae in cookie form.
- They stay soft for days if you store them right, which almost never happens in my kitchen because they vanish within hours.
02 -
- Soggy dough from wet cherries was my biggest early failure, so press those chopped cherries between paper towels multiple times until they feel almost dry to the touch.
- Underbaking by just one minute is the real secret to cookies that stay chewy for days rather than turning hard overnight.
03 -
- Let the shaped dough balls chill in the fridge for thirty minutes before baking because cold dough spreads less and develops a richer, more concentrated flavor.
- A tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie right after they come out of the oven elevates the chocolate and cherry flavors in a way that will make people ask what your secret is.