Let's Make Easy Chocolate Cherry Sugar Cookies - Festive Favorites

 

 

These Chocolate Cherry Sugar Cookies are the perfect blend of nostalgic comfort and festive flair. Soft, buttery sugar cookies are topped with rich milk chocolate covered cherries, right out of the oven —creating a treat that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Ideal for holiday cookie trays, bake sales, or cozy afternoons with a cup of tea, they’re simple to make yet feel wonderfully special.

Unique and different, these cookies are guaranteed to catch the eye and win hearts. A timeless recipe that combines classic flavors with a touch of whimsy, they’re destined to become a festive favorite.

  

I came across a sugar cookie recipe the other day which had chocolate candy kisses pressed into the centers.  I had a think and thought to myself, why couldn't you press chocolate covered cherries in the centers.  That would be a lot more exciting.

And I just happened to have a couple of boxes of milk chocolate covered cherries in the larder that I had bought for Christmas. I used one of them, which had 10 in the box and then I had some Dubai Chocolate Truffles and so I used five of them for a slightly different version

The original recipe said that it made 32 cookies. I only got 15 using my TBS sized cookie scoop. (Which is what they recommended using.) I was not overly bothered as the chocolate cherries are a bit larger than a chocolate kiss, so you want a cookie that is a bit larger to hug it.

The cookies themselves are nice, soft, and chewy vanilla cookies, which are rolled in some granulated sugar prior to baking to give them a sweet festive crunch.

The milk chocolate covered cherries came out looking really pretty in the centers. I suppose you could add a drizzle icing if you really wanted to, but I thought these were perfect just as is! I really hope you will want to bake some for your cookie trays!  People will fall in love with them. I guarantee!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO

MAKE CHOCOLATE CHERRY SUGAR COOKIES

Other than the chocolate covered cherries, you probably have everything you need in the larder to make these right now! 

• 1 3/4 cup (210g) all-purpose plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

You will also need:

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough
• 15 chocolate covered cherries, dark or milk chocolate (you decide)

 

The baking ingredients themselves are pretty self-explanatory. Do NOT use self-raising flour in this recipe. There would be too much baking powder in it.  

I used salted butter as that is all I keep in the house. I always cut back on the salt required in a recipe because of this. It is much easier and cheaper to just cut back on the salt in a recipe and only keep one kind of butter.

I use pure Vanilla extract. In fact, I usually make my own.  You can find that recipe here.  Its so good!

I used Kirkland organic granulated sugar.  Its not as highly processed as most granulated sugars are. If you are in the U.K. I would use golden caster sugar.

The brand of chocolate covered cherries I used was the Cella's brand.  Milk chocolate.  I didn't have quite enough so I topped five with some Dubai Chocolate truffles.  (Oh my goodness.) I dare say any chocolate truffle would taste good. Do bear in mind however that they will take a while to set up as the chocolate in them is a lot creamier.

 

HOW TO MAKE

CHOCOLATE CHERRY SUGAR COOKIES

These are as easy to make as most cookies are.  Just make sure you press the chocolate down into the hot cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside. (The paper makes for easy removal and even baking.)
2. Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric hand whisk, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl. (Scraping the side of the bowl makes sure that everything gets evenly incorporated.)
3. Sift the flour, soda, baking powder and salt together. (This makes sure everything is evenly combined.)
4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture on low speed, mixing all together until just combined and no dry streaks are present. (Try not to overbeat as it may toughen the cookies.)
5. Shape into 15 equal sized balls. (I used a cookie scoop to give me equally sized balls.)
6. Put the sugar for rolling into a bowl. Roll the cookie dough balls in this sugar to coat.
7. Place the coated cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
9. As soon as they come out of the oven press a chocolate covered cherry down into the center of each hot cookies. (Do it while the cookies are still hot. This melts the bottoms of the chocolates and helps to keep them in place.)
10. Leave to cool for a few minutes before carefully scooping off to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Store in a tightly covered container for up to a week. (Place some baking parchment or wax paper between the layers.)

 

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THESE 

CHOCOLATE CHERRY SUGAR COOKIES

• They come together and are baked in less than half an hour.
• No chill time required.
• Soft and chewy with a lovely crisp sugar coating.
• You can use any type of chocolates to fill the centers, not just chocolate cherries.
• You can vary the sugar coating for the holidays by using colored sanding sugar

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR 

BAKING THE BEST COOKIES

• Read through the recipe thoroughly a few times prior to baking to help familiarize yourself with any ingredients or equipment needed.
• Assemble everything you need before you begin. This can help to prevent you from leaving something integral to the recipe out by accident.
• Have all of your ingredients at room temperature before beginning.
• Don't overbeat your cookie batter. Overbeating can create tough cookies.
• I prefer to bake by weight rather than volume. This is a more precise way of baking. A gram is always a gram whereas cups can often vary in their measurements. I use a good set of kitchen scales.

These will keep in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature and can be frozen for longer storage.

 

A FEW OTHER 

COOKIE RECIPES TO ENJOY

I love to bake a variety of cookies for the Christmas holidays. Here are a few more cookie recipes which I highly recommend for festive deliciousness!

RASPBERRY THUMBPRINTS -  It wouldn't be Christmas without a few of these on the cookie tray. They have a short buttery, almost short-bread-like texture which is perfectly set off by the dollop of raspberry jam in the middle. I like to give them a sweet drizzle glaze to dress them up.

SUGARED DATE SQUARES - Delectable little bites of Christmas happiness I only make once a year. There is no baking required. Dates, walnuts, crisp rice cereal, etc. Things are heated and mixed in a saucepan, then pressed into a pan. Once they are solid you cut into squares and roll them in icing sugar.  These are a real family favorite.

 

  

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Yield: Makes 15

Author: Marie Rayner

Chocolate Cherry Sugar Cookies

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

A soft and chewy sugar cookie, coated in crunchy sugar and filled with a chocolate covered cherry. Pure indulgence and so pretty on a cookie tray.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup (210g) all-purpose plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

You will also need:

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough
• 15 chocolate covered cherries, dark or milk chocolate (you decide)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric hand whisk, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl.
3. Sift the flour, soda, baking powder and salt together.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture on low speed, mixing all together until just combined and no dry streaks are present. Try not to overbeat.
5. Shape into 15 equal sized balls.
6. Put the sugar for rolling into a bowl. Roll the cookie dough balls in this sugar to coat.
7. Place the coated cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
9. As soon as they come out of the oven press a chocolate covered cherry down into the center of each hot cookies.
10. Leave to cool for a few minutes before carefully scooping off to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Store in a tightly covered container for up to a week.

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