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Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 96 reviews

These Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and delightfully pink with a perfect balance of sweetness from maraschino cherries and rich semi-sweet chocolate chips. The cookies are uniquely colored with a touch of pink gel food coloring, making them both visually appealing and delicious. Chilling the dough ensures the cookies maintain their shape and achieve a tender texture, while additional chocolate chips and cherries on top create a delightful bite every time.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 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
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract
  • ¼ tsp pink gel food coloring

Add-ins

  • 2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (1 cup in dough, plus extra for garnish)
  • 1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries, plus extra for garnish

Instructions

  1. Chill the Dough Preparation: Begin by planning to chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking for best results.
  2. Measure Flour Accurately: Aerate the flour with a whisk or spoon. Avoid sifting. Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup and level off with a butter knife to ensure accurate measurement.
  3. Prepare Cherries: Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess juice to prevent sogginess in the dough.
  4. Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper for easy removal after baking.
  5. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
  6. 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 in color.
  7. Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract for 30 seconds to combine.
  8. Add Food Coloring: Mix in the pink gel food coloring until the desired pink hue is achieved. Gel coloring helps maintain a vibrant color.
  9. Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until the dough becomes thick and well combined.
  10. Add Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Fold in the finely chopped maraschino cherries and 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the dough.
  11. Shape and Garnish Cookies: Using a #40 cookie scoop, form dough into 2 Tbsp-sized balls. Press remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and extra chopped cherries onto the outside of each dough ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes to help cookies maintain shape.
  12. Bake Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Place 6-8 frozen cookies onto the lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Remove cookies when slightly underbaked to keep them chewy and preserve their pink color. They will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet outside the oven.
  13. Final Touch: Once out of the oven, add extra chocolate chips on sparse spots if desired. Avoid storing these cookies covered to prevent them from getting soft due to moisture from the cherries.

Notes

  • Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate flour measurement to ensure perfect texture.
  • Do not sift flour; aerate it instead to avoid compacting.
  • Chilling and freezing the dough before baking helps cookies keep their shape and creates a better texture.
  • Remove cookies from oven when slightly underbaked to maintain chewiness and preserve color.
  • Avoid storing covered to prevent cookies from becoming soft due to cherry moisture.
  • Gel food coloring is recommended for a deep pink, vibrant color.

Keywords: maraschino cherry cookies, chocolate chip cookies, pink cookies, cherry chocolate cookies, chewy cookies, homemade cookies, dessert, baking

Find it online: https://yumwithmia.com/maraschino-cherry-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/