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Valentine's Day Cherry Cookies

Delightful cookies featuring maraschino cherries and chocolate kisses, perfect for celebrating love on Valentine's Day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 130
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Base
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (at room temperature for easy creaming) Use high-quality unsalted butter for the best flavor.
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted for the smoothest texture)
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) All-purpose flour works best, but cake flour can be used for a lighter texture.
  • 6 oz maraschino cherries (finely chopped, with 5 tsp of their juice reserved) Choose maraschino cherries packed in water for a fresher flavor.
  • 5 tsp maraschino cherry juice (from the chopped cherries)
  • 1 tsp baking powder (to help the cookies rise)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (to balance sweetness)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (pure vanilla for the best flavor)
  • 8 drops red food coloring (optional, but they look great!) Food coloring adds a nice touch visually, but can be skipped.
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract (for that lovely nutty aroma)
  • 24 pieces chocolate kisses (unwrapped before use) Chill in the refrigerator to prevent melting.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Finely chop the maraschino cherries and reserve about 5 teaspoons of the juice.
  3. Unwrap all the chocolate kisses and place them in the refrigerator to chill.
  4. In a large bowl, cream together the room temperature butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
  5. Stir in the reserved cherry juice, vanilla extract, almond extract, and red food coloring until well combined.
  6. Add in 2 cups of flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix!
  7. Gently fold in the chopped cherries and any remaining flour. The dough should hold together without being sticky.
  8. Chill the dough for about 10 minutes.
  9. Using your hands or a cookie scoop, roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Baking
  1. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set but still soft in the centers.
  2. Press a cold chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven.
  3. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
  4. If in a hurry, refrigerate the cookies for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate kisses.

Notes

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for up to three months. You can prepare the dough ahead of time and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.