Chocolate Cherry Tea Cookies

Leave it plain for a pretty hanging cookie.

Leave it plain for a pretty hanging cookie.

These tender little sugar cookies with bits of chocolate and maraschino cherries will delight anyone with a sweet tooth. Surprise co-workers, friends, and loved ones with homemade Valentine treats!

(Also, at the bottom of the blog you’ll find links to three more recipes from my amazing blogger friends – and you do not want to miss those, so read on!)

They’re versatile! Decorate with chocolate, use a special heart-shaped “cup hanger” cutter, make little two-bite hearts with chocolate centers or write names on larger hearts.Add color for a hot pink Valentine effect, or let the cherries give them just a hint of peachy pink.

Drizzle or dip - chocolate is always a good choice!

Drizzle or dip – chocolate is always a good choice!

Make a dainty hot pink cookie to go with a cup of tea.

Make a dainty hot pink cookie to go with a cup of tea.

I often use a variation on my basic shortbread cookie because I love the texture – and because the recipe is EASY!  They are a little fragile though, so make sure they’re cooked long enough (too soft and they’ll break, but bake them too long and the pink will turn an unattractive color) and handle and transport them with care.

This makes a lot of cookes – 6 dozen. The baked cookies freeze well, or you can always freeze the cut out shapes between layers of parchment in a zipper bag. Or you can just eat them with abandon!

 

Chocolate Cherry Tea Cookies
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 cups butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, increase salt by ¼ teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon cherry flavoring
  • A few drops of pink or red food coloring, if desired
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 24 (to taste) maraschino cherries, finely chopped and lightly blotted with paper towels
  • 4 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cornstarch
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar and butter. Beat until light and fluffy.
  3. Add flavoring, food coloring if using, and egg yolks, and blend well. (If using a stand mixer, you may want to switch to the dough hook at this point!)
  4. Add the chocolate chips, cherries, flour, salt and cornstarch. Stir just until the mixture forms a smooth dough. Dough will be stiff! If you have a sturdy dough hook, let it do the work. If not, you might have to knead it together by hand.
  5. Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick between sheets of lightly floured parchment. Cut with cookie cutters of your choice.
  6. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 11-12 minutes, The bottom edges should just be turning golden brown. Watch the cookies carefully - if they get too dark the pink will turn an unattractive orange color!
  7. Move cookie sheet to a rack to cool for 1 to 2 minutes, then slide cookies onto rack to cool completely.

Your choice: natural or hot pink!

Your choice: natural or hot pink!

Chop and lightly blot cherries.

Chop and lightly blot cherries.

Beat the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.

Beat the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.

Add chips, cherries, and dry ingredients. Use a dough hook or lots of muscle!

Add chips, cherries, and dry ingredients. Use a dough hook or lots of muscle!

Roll and cut into your favorite shapes.

Roll and cut into your favorite shapes.

Another option.

Another option.

Chocolate Cherry Tea Cookies with chocolate hearts The Rowdy Baker

Well, this is officially my last Valentine’s post of the year. I still have half a gallon of cherries – which means I either need to freeze them or eat them. Hmmmm……freeze or eat? Freeze or eat?

Well, that was a no-brainer, wasn’t it?

Here are those wonderful recipes I told you about. Crumbs in My Mustachio created a “Tiramisu Cheesecake”, Moore or Less Cooking Blog brought “Fudgy Cherry Cheesecake Brownie Bars”, and Tampa Cake Girl baked an “I Love Chocolate Cake”. Hope you’ll stop by and visit their blogs!

broads valentine collage

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my Rowdy friends!   Lorinda

 

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies The Rowdy BakerWith a soft, chewy texture that lies somewhere between a cookie and a brownie, this explosion of dark chocolate and maraschino cherry will satisfy you right down to your toes. And yes, I get a little bit passionate about cherries!

 

The Rowdy Baker loves her some cherries!

The Rowdy Baker loves her some cherries!

This recipe is a little fussier than a normal cookie recipe – more ingredients, a few extra steps – but it’s well worth the effort, especially for a holiday like Valentine’s Day.

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
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Makes 4-5 dozen These cookies get softer and more flavorful after 24 hours!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1½ cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 3½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped chocolate)
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts - more if desired
  • 1 10-oz jar maraschino cherries
  • ICING:
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or ¼ teaspoon cherry flavoring (optional)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • decorate with maraschino cherries, sprinkles, chopped nuts
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two baking sheets (or cover with parchment)
  2. Drain cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons for icing, if desired. Chop cherries into small pieces and set aside. (Don't press or dry the chopped cherries...a little juice is fine.)
  3. In a medium pan, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together on low heat. Stir frequently. When chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and stir.
  4. Add white sugar and brown sugar to the butter mixture and stir well.
  5. Add vanilla and buttermilk, stirring until combined.
  6. Put mixture into a large bowl. Add eggs and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
  7. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix just until dry ingredients are incorporated.
  8. Add chocolate chips, walnuts, and chopped cherries.
  9. With cookie scoop or by rounded tablespoon, drop dough at least 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. (Don't chill this dough. Bake the cookies right away, or scoop onto baking sheets and freeze for later.)3-4 minutes before moving to the rack to cool completely. Ice and decorate cookies.
  10. ICING:
  11. In a medium pan, heat the cream, chocolate, and cherry juice on low, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir well, until completely smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Let icing sit, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread without dripping...about 1 hour. (This will vary, depending on the temperature of your house.)

Note: Bake these right away. If you let the dough sit too long or put it in the fridge, it will set up like soft fudge!  If you don’t want to bake them all, I suggest scooping the dough onto baking sheets and freezing for later.

Chop those cherries!

Chop those cherries!

Melt the butter and chocolate.

Melt the butter and chocolate.

Add the sugars and stir like crazy!

Add the sugars and stir like crazy!

Stirring in the chocolate chips, nuts, and cherries.

Stirring in the chocolate chips, nuts, and cherries.

Scoop onto prepared sheet - parchment for this batch.

Scoop onto prepared baking sheet – parchment for this batch.

Baked. Aren't they pretty?

Baked. Aren’t they pretty?

And now, for the icing!

Gently melt the chocolate and cream (and maybe a little cherry juice) for the icing.

Gently melt the chocolate and cream (and maybe a little cherry juice) for the icing.

Whisk in the powdered sugar until it's velvety smooth.

Whisk in the powdered sugar until it’s velvety smooth.

Dollop (best for cherries) or spread (best for sprinkles) the icing.

Dollop (best for cherries) or spread (best for sprinkles) the icing.

Admire your creations before they disappear!

Admire your creations before they disappear!

Here’s another idea: Buy some glass candle holders from the dollar store and serve individual cookies at each place setting. Pretty classy, huh?Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies individually served The Rowdy Baker

So many cherries, so little time. I’m not sure why I bought a gallon of the things…guess I forgot the advice to “never shop hungry”!

Lorinda