Description
Delight in these Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, combining the sweetness of maraschino cherries with rich semi-sweet chocolate chips in a soft, chewy cookie. The dough is tinted a vibrant pink with gel food coloring, making these cookies as visually appealing as they are delicious. Perfectly balanced in flavor and texture, they’re great for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 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
Add-ins
- 2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup drained and finely chopped maraschino cherries, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Measure Flour Accurately: Use a kitchen scale to weigh 360g of flour for accuracy. If unavailable, aerate the flour without sifting and spoon it into a measuring cup, leveling it with a knife to avoid compacting.
- Prepare Cherries: Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Set them on a paper towel to absorb any excess juice to prevent soggy dough.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper for non-stick baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a larger mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy and pale.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract for 30 seconds until well combined.
- Add Food Coloring: Mix in the pink gel food coloring until the desired vibrant color is achieved. Gel coloring gives a deep, consistent pink.
- Combine Dry with Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients on low speed. The dough will turn thick.
- Fold in Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Gently incorporate the finely chopped cherries and 1 cup of chocolate chips into the dough.
- Shape and Garnish: Using a #40 cookie scoop, form 2 tablespoon-sized dough balls. Press the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and additional chopped cherries onto the outside of each dough ball for garnish.
- Freeze Dough Balls: Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes to help maintain shape during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Bake: Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). 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 and preserve their pink color.
- Final Decoration: After baking, add extra chocolate chips to any sparse areas while cookies are still warm. Avoid covering cookies to maintain crispness due to moisture from cherries.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Option: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour.
- Storage: Store cookies uncovered at room temperature for up to 3 days to prevent them from becoming soft.
- Make Ahead: Cookie dough can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours before baking.
- Freezing: Freeze shaped dough balls on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.
- Food Coloring: Use gel food coloring for vibrant, long-lasting pink color. Liquid food coloring typically results in a less intense shade.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
