Hey there! So happy to be back to my blog and share this recipe for Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies with you. If you love the taste of cherry and chocolate, you’ll love these drop cookies. A tender chocolate base filled with mini chocolate chips and bits of maraschino cherries is topped with a creamy chocolate frosting.
These double chocolate cherry drop cookies come by way of an old Land O Lakes cookbook that I bought in the early ’90s. They’re a pretty addition to an assorted cookie tray, freeze well, and a plate of these are a much appreciated gift.
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (original recipe called for almond extract)
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, well-drained
- Frosting:
- 3 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2¾ cups powdered sugar
- 3-5 tablespoons 2% evaporated milk (original recipe calls for half & half)
- 1 tablespoon reserved maraschino cherry juice
- Halved maraschino cherries
- Heat oven to 350F.
- Combine butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy.
- Add egg and extract and continue beating until well mixed.
- Reduce speed and add flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.
- Stir in chocolate chips and chopped maraschino cherries by hand.
- Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. NOTE: these cookies spread.
- Bake 12-14 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
- To prepare frosting, melt chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth.
- Combine chocolate mixture and powdered sugar. Stir in evaporated milk and reserved cherry juice until smooth.
- Frost cooled cookies and place cherry half in the center. Let stand until set.
- Yield: 4 dozen cookies
It’s been three weeks of decking the halls, getting into the holiday spirit with the band’s Sounds of the Season concert, and doing plenty of cooking and baking, and hosting dear family and friends – especially this past Thursday when we celebrated St. Nicholas Day. December 19th by the Julian Calendar is St. Nicholas Day and my family’s patron saint day (also referred to as our Slava). Honoring one’s patron saint is unique to Serbian Orthodox Christians and signifies the birthday our ancestor’s entry into the Church.
St. Nicholas falls during the Nativity Fast, which equates to following a vegan diet and abstaining meat, eggs, and dairy. Hosting both Orthodox and friends of other faiths, I serve both vegan and non-vegan foods. Between now and my Christmas (January 7th), I’ll be posting a different holiday recipe as a way of sharing my table with you.
Enjoy!
[…] used some extra vacation days to stay home and do the final preparations before our slava. Trying new recipes and making old favorites, cleaning and tidying and erranding and…making Colombian cheese […]