Ingredients
— The Wet Ingredients —
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (crucial for cherry flavor)
2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice (from the jar)
Red food coloring (optional, for a pinker dough)
— The Dry Ingredients —
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
— The Mix-Ins —
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries, drained, chopped, and blotted dry
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
1. **Prep Cherries:** Drain the jar of cherries (reserve 2 tablespoons of juice). Chop the cherries into small pieces. **Crucial Step:** Place the chopped cherries on a layer of paper towels and pat them thoroughly dry. If they are too wet, they will ruin the cookie dough texture.
2. **Preheat:** Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
3. **Cream Butter & Sugar:** In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. **Add Liquids:** Add the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and reserved cherry juice. Beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. **Mix Dry:** In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until streaks of flour disappear.
6. **Fold:** Gently fold in the dried chopped cherries and the chocolate chips by hand using a spatula.
7. **Scoop:** Use a cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to drop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
8. **Bake:** Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly soft. Do not overbake, or they will lose their chewiness.
9. **Cool:** Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Blot the Cherries: I cannot stress this enough—remove as much moisture from the cherries as possible. Wet cherries = soggy, spreading cookies.
Almond Extract: Don’t skip this! Almond extract pairs perfectly with cherries and gives the cookie that signature ‘bakery’ flavor.
Chill the Dough: If your kitchen is warm or the dough feels sticky, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading too flat.
Chocolate Choice: Dark chocolate chips are excellent here because they balance the intense sweetness of the maraschino cherries.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian