Put a tasty holiday spin on your chocolate chip cookies with these
Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies. Loaded with candied
cherries and the beautiful colors of Christmas, they're a fun and festive take
on this beloved classic treat.
Have you ever wondered, can you put candied cherries in chocolate chip
cookies to make a Christmas version of everyone's beloved treat? The answer
is yes, oh yes you can. And it makes for one very tasty Christmas version of this classic favorite, for sure.
Just like with the flavors of chocolate covered cherries, candied cherries pair beautifully with the chocolate of chocolate chip cookies. Think of enjoying these festive cookies as kind of like eating a chocolate covered cherry -- but surrounded in delicious cookie dough instead of the oozy center of the classic candy. And oh, it's a truly wonderful flavor combination, indeed.
Loaded with candied cherries and the beautiful colors of Christmas, Candied Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies are a fun and festive take on this beloved classic treat.
Besides their fabulous flavor and festive look, we also love that Candied Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies are a "familiar" recipe for holiday baking. -- Sort of like a holiday baking security blanket, if you will.
Because since these Christmas chocolate chip cookies are simply standard chocolate chip cookies with the addition of chopped candied cherries and almond extract, if you can make regular chocolate chip cookies, you're good to go with this recipe, too! There's no added stress of trying out an unknown or complicated recipe here.
Whip up a batch for the holidays this year! They're a perfect addition to any Christmas cookie exchange or Christmas day cookie tray. (Oh, and hey, cherry chocolate chip cookies with maraschino cherries are wonderful, too!)
What's to Love About This Recipe?
- Flavor - Just like with the flavors of chocolate covered cherries, candied cherries pair beautifully with the chocolate of chocolate chip cookies to create one very tasty Christmas treat.
- Fun & festive - Loaded with candied cherries and the beautiful colors of Christmas, these are a fun and festive take on a beloved classic.
- Familiar recipe - Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are simply standard chocolate chip cookies with the addition of chopped candied cherries and almond extract, -- so if you can make chocolate chip cookies, you're good to go with this recipe, too! There's no stress of trying out an unknown or complicated recipe here.
Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients:
There are no real fancy ingredients here -- just basic chocolate chip cookies with a couple of add-ins. To whip up a batch, you'll need:
- Candied cherries
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
For the candied cherries, you can use all red, all green, or a mix of the two. We always use a combination of both red and green for an extra-pretty Christmas look.
A small touch of almond extract enhances the cherry flavor and sweetness of the finished baked cookies. That being said, if you're not a fan of almond extract's flavor, omit it and increase the amount of vanilla extract to replace it.
How to Make Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are simply standard chocolate chip cookies with the addition of chopped candied cherries and almond extract, -- so if you can make chocolate chip cookies, you're good to go with this recipe, too!
To get these started, coarsely chop a cup of candied cherries.
Then whip up a basic chocolate chip cookie dough, adding in a little bit of almond extract and stirring in the chopped candied cherries at the end along with the standard chocolate chips.
Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. A 1-tablespoon cookie scoop makes it super easy to scoop the dough, and helps keep the cookies all about the same size.
Pop the pan in the oven and bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes until they're set and a light golden brown on the edges.
Remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely, and then you're good to go with enjoying the deliciousness!
Whip up a tasty batch for the holidays this year. Because Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are a perfect addition to any Christmas cookie exchange or Christmas day cookie tray, and quite possibly could become a new holiday family favorite.
Recipe FAQs:
- Can you freeze Candied Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies? - Yes, absolutely Candied Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies can be frozen. Place in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Instead of candied cherries, can you use maraschino cherries to make Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies? - Yes, cherry chocolate chip cookies made with maraschino cherries are delicious! Drain the maraschino cherries well on a couple layers of paper towels, coarsely chop them, and stir into the cookie dough at the end of prep, just as you would with the candied cherries.
- Do you need to chill the dough before baking these Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies? - We do not find it necessary to refrigerate and chill the dough before baking these candied cherry chocolate chip cookies. That being said, it wouldn't hurt the dough or baked cookies for the dough to be chilled for a bit before baking. If you find your cookies spreading a lot when baking, it's most likely due to the butter being super soft in the dough. -- In this case, chilling the dough for 30 minutes to an hour or so would help reduce that spreading.
Check out these other super tasty Christmas cookies:
- Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Cookies
- Cherry Almond Cookies
- Cherry Kiss Cookies
- 2-Ingredient Palmiers
- Insanely Delicious Turtle Cookies
- Christmas Monster Cookies
- Christmas Homemade Thin Mints
- Christmas Chocolate Layer Bars
- Christmas White Chocolate-Dipped Sugar Wafers
- Christmas Sprinkle-Coated Sugar Cookies
- 7-Layer Magic Cookies
- More cookie recipes
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love
to have you back soon!
Yield: about 36 cookies
Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
Put a tasty holiday spin on your chocolate chip cookies with these Candied Cherry Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies. Loaded with candied cherries and the beautiful colors of Christmas, they're a fun and festive take on this beloved classic treat.
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 c. butter, softened
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 c. coarsely chopped candied cherries + 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 c. (12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Toss chopped candied cherries with the 2 teaspoons of flour to coat; set aside.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract; beat until creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs.
- Gradually add the flour mixture; mix until combined. Stir in the chopped candied cherries and chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by rounded teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375℉ for 9 - 11 minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven and let cookies stand on the pan for about a minute before removing to a cooling rack.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
- For the candied cherries, you can use red, green, or a combination of 1/2 cup of each. We always use a combination of both colors for an extra pretty Christmas look.
- The small touch of almond extract enhances the cherry flavor and sweetness of the finished baked cookies. If you're not a fan of almond extract's flavor, omit it and increase the amount of vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon.
- A 1-tablespoon cookie scoop makes it super easy to scoop the dough for baking, and helps keep the cookies all about the same size.
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This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.
Thanks for sharing at the Lazy Gastronome's What's for Dinner party. Have a wonderful week - Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe made me think of my grandmother. She loved chocolate covered cherries. :) And it looks delicious, too!
ReplyDeleteI love a cherry and chocolate combination and these cookies looks so colourful too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your recipe at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I'm delighted to be featuring it at the party tonight and pinning.
Merry Christmas,
Kerryanne