Description
Chocolate Cherry Blossoms are delightful, soft cookies infused with cherry and almond flavors, topped with a rich Hershey’s Kiss and optionally drizzled with a sweet almond glaze. These cookies combine the fruity sweetness of maraschino cherries and cherry juice with the deep taste of dark chocolate for a festive and irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons cherry juice (from the maraschino jar)
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Topping
- 1 bag Hershey’s Kisses (dark chocolate preferred)
Optional Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixer bowl, beat together the softened butter and powdered sugar until the mixture is creamy and smooth, ensuring good texture for the dough.
- Add Cherry and Almond Flavors: Mix in cherry juice, chopped maraschino cherries, and almond extract into the creamed mixture. Optionally, add food coloring to enhance the pink hue of the dough.
- Combine with Flour: Stir in the flour until fully incorporated. The dough should be dry but hold together when formed into balls. If too dry, add additional cherry juice, one teaspoon at a time.
- Shape Dough Balls: Form the dough into balls approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place them spaced on ungreased cookie sheets or those lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookies turn a light golden brown.
- Add Hershey’s Kisses: Remove the cookies from the oven and, while still warm, gently press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. Let them rest on the baking sheet for an additional 5 minutes to set.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the cookies to cooling racks and allow them to cool entirely before proceeding to glaze.
- Prepare and Apply Glaze (Optional): Stir together powdered sugar, water, and almond extract to make a smooth glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and let it harden before serving.
Notes
- You can add a few drops of red or pink food coloring to intensify the cherry color in the dough.
- Make sure not to overbake; the cookies should be lightly golden to keep them soft inside.
- The glaze is optional but adds a lovely, sweet finishing touch with extra almond flavor.
- Use dark chocolate Hershey’s Kisses for a richer chocolate contrast.
- Cookies are best stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Chocolate Cherry Blossoms, cherry cookies, Hershey's kiss cookies, almond extract cookies, holiday cookies, cherry chocolate cookies
