These cookies have almond extract, maraschino cherries, salted almonds and pools of chocolate. What’s not to love! They are my new favorite Christmas cookie.
Course Cookies, Dessert
Keyword Almonds, Cherries, Chocolate, Christmas
Prep Time 12 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Chilling Time 1 hourhour
Servings 16
Author Leona G.
Ingredients
1sticksalted buttersoftened, not melted
⅔cupgranulated sugar
⅓cupdark brown sugar
1tspvanilla extract
1tsp almond extract
1large egg
1½cupsAP flourspooned and leveled off
½tspbaking soda
¼tspsalt
½cup chocolate chipsmilk chocolate or semi-sweet
2ozchopped bittersweet chocolatefrom a bar
¼cupchopped pitted maraschino cherriespatted dry
⅓cupchopped almonds
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, add your flour, salt & baking powder. set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugars and extracts for 2 minutes. Add in your egg and beat until combined. be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down to make sure everything is incorporated.
Next, add in you flour mixture and mix just until there are no dry pockets left. remove the bowl and fold in your chocolate, chopped almonds and maraschino cherries with a spatula. Scoop the dough into balls and chill for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
When ready to bake, scoop the dough using a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Allow space in between for spreading. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool on their tray fie 10 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
I like to use salted butter in my cookies most of the time. It makes the cookies more flavorful, but unsalted butter is totally fine.
Make sure to buy pitted maraschino cherries and pat them dry before and after you chop them to get them as dry as possible.
I use whole almonds, but slivered or blanched are fine too.
The chopped chocolate from a bar gives a melty delicious texture throughout the cookie. The chips will stay pretty solid.