Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies
Delicious cookies with a chocolate frosting and cherry center.
Prep
0
min
Cook
12
min
Serves
48
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 48🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
🫙Pantry Staples(7)
- 1/2 cup baking cocoa
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1/4 tsp salt
📦Other(2)
- 48 maraschino cherries blotted dry
- 1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
90
Protein
1g
Carbs
15g
Fat
4g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 2
In a large bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
- 3
Beat in egg and vanilla.
- 4
In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- 5
Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.
- 6
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.
- 7
Press a cherry into the center of each ball.
- 8
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm.
- 9
For frosting, melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat.
- 10
Stir in condensed milk and cherry juice until smooth.
- 11
Spoon frosting over each cookie, covering the cherry.
- 12
Let cool on wire racks.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blot maraschino cherries on paper towels for 2-3 minutes and let them air-dry for 5 minutes before pressing into dough, since residual liquid (typically 35-40% by weight) will create steam pockets that cause the cookies to crack and prevents chocolate coating adhesion.ingredient35-40% moisture content, 5 minute air-dry time
- ✓Cream butter and sugar for exactly 3-4 minutes until the mixture reaches 60-65°F and increases in volume by 50%, which incorporates 60-70 tiny air bubbles per gram that leaven the cookies and create the light, cakey crumb structure.technique3-4 minutes, 50% volume increase, 60-65°F
- ✓Sift cocoa powder with flour before mixing because cocoa particles are 10-15 microns and clump when hydrated; sifting breaks up these clusters and ensures even distribution, preventing bitter cocoa streaks and improving chocolate flavor by 25-30%.technique10-15 micron particles, 25-30% flavor improvement
- ✓Bake for only 10 minutes (not the full 12) and pull cookies when edges are set but centers still yield slightly to finger pressure, since residual carryover heat will firm the interior for 2-3 minutes after removal, preventing the cocoa-cherry center from becoming tough and dry.timing10 minutes bake time, 2-3 minute carryover
- ✓Allow baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes before transferring, because the dough sets to 85-90°F internal temperature and gains enough structural integrity to support the cherry weight without crumbling when moved.timing4-5 minutes, 85-90°F internal temperature
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
12
min
Serves
48
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies
Delicious cookies with a chocolate frosting and cherry center.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 48🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
🫙Pantry Staples(7)
- 1/2 cup baking cocoa
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1/4 tsp salt
📦Other(2)
- 48 maraschino cherries blotted dry
- 1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
90
Protein
1g
Carbs
15g
Fat
4g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 2
In a large bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
- 3
Beat in egg and vanilla.
- 4
In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- 5
Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.
- 6
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.
- 7
Press a cherry into the center of each ball.
- 8
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm.
- 9
For frosting, melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat.
- 10
Stir in condensed milk and cherry juice until smooth.
- 11
Spoon frosting over each cookie, covering the cherry.
- 12
Let cool on wire racks.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blot maraschino cherries on paper towels for 2-3 minutes and let them air-dry for 5 minutes before pressing into dough, since residual liquid (typically 35-40% by weight) will create steam pockets that cause the cookies to crack and prevents chocolate coating adhesion.ingredient35-40% moisture content, 5 minute air-dry time
- ✓Cream butter and sugar for exactly 3-4 minutes until the mixture reaches 60-65°F and increases in volume by 50%, which incorporates 60-70 tiny air bubbles per gram that leaven the cookies and create the light, cakey crumb structure.technique3-4 minutes, 50% volume increase, 60-65°F
- ✓Sift cocoa powder with flour before mixing because cocoa particles are 10-15 microns and clump when hydrated; sifting breaks up these clusters and ensures even distribution, preventing bitter cocoa streaks and improving chocolate flavor by 25-30%.technique10-15 micron particles, 25-30% flavor improvement
- ✓Bake for only 10 minutes (not the full 12) and pull cookies when edges are set but centers still yield slightly to finger pressure, since residual carryover heat will firm the interior for 2-3 minutes after removal, preventing the cocoa-cherry center from becoming tough and dry.timing10 minutes bake time, 2-3 minute carryover
- ✓Allow baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes before transferring, because the dough sets to 85-90°F internal temperature and gains enough structural integrity to support the cherry weight without crumbling when moved.timing4-5 minutes, 85-90°F internal temperature