Description
Delight in these vibrant Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, featuring a unique pink hue and a perfect balance of sweet maraschino cherries and rich semi-sweet chocolate chips. These chewy, visually stunning cookies are chilled before baking to maintain their shape and baked to a soft, chewy perfection that keeps their distinctive pink color intact.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus extra for garnish)
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
- 1 cup drained and finely chopped maraschino cherries (plus extra for garnish)
Instructions
- Chill the Dough Preparation: Begin by chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking to help maintain the cookie shape during baking.
- Measure Flour Accurately: Weigh the flour using a kitchen scale for best accuracy. If unavailable, aerate the flour with a whisk, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without tapping, and level with a knife to prevent density that would affect texture.
- Prepare Cherries: Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries, then place them on a paper towel to eliminate excess juice which can affect cookie moisture balance.
- 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 for later integration.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a larger bowl, beat the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and pale, ensuring moisture and airiness for texture.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract for 30 seconds until incorporated for flavor enhancement.
- Add Food Coloring: Mix in the pink gel food coloring gradually until the desired deep pink cookie color is achieved, gel coloring provides vibrant hues without thinning the dough.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the dry mix into the wet mixture at low speed to form a thick dough without overmixing, preserving tenderness.
- Add Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Fold in the finely chopped cherries and 1 cup of chocolate chips evenly to distribute flavor and texture.
- Form Cookies: Using a #40 cookie scoop, form about 2 tablespoons sized dough balls. Press remaining chocolate chips and chopped cherries onto the outside for garnish and visual appeal. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes to solidify the shape.
- Bake Cookies: Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). After freezing, bake 6-8 cookies for 10-13 minutes until the edges are set but centers appear slightly underbaked. This prevents overbrowning and retains chewiness and pink color.
- Garnish and Store: Once baked, add extra chocolate chips to spots that look sparse while still warm. Avoid storing cookies covered as moisture from cherries can soften them, best enjoyed fresh or loosely covered.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale to measure flour for best results preventing dense, heavy cookies.
- Draining cherries thoroughly avoids excess moisture that can make cookies too soft.
- Freezing cookie dough before baking is key for maintaining shape and preventing spreading.
- Remove cookies from oven when centers look slightly underbaked, they continue to cook on the hot sheet.
- Gel food coloring ensures a vivid pink color without affecting dough consistency.
- Store cookies loosely covered or uncovered to maintain desired texture and avoid sogginess from cherry moisture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: maraschino cherry cookies, pink cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cherry chocolate chip, chewy cookies, holiday cookies
