Remember those chocolate covered cherries that always made an appearance on Christmas Eve at your Grandma’s house? Cherry cordials I believed they’re formally called. Sometimes, if you were really lucky, she had those little chocolates shaped like bottles filled with “liquors” and you were excited because you thought you were “drinking booze” (though usually only Drambuie was left by the time you found the candy bowl.) Ah, good times! Today’s cookie, to cap off the 12 Days of Chocolate Cookies, is inspired by those funny little memories of holidays past. The Day 12 cookie is a Chocolate Covered Cherry.
They look like plain little chocolate balls but they hide a secret surprise. There’s no weird white goo, and there’s no questionable booze but that cherry is there, a bright red maraschino cherry wrapped in chocolate cookie dough and then glazed. And for fun, I stuffed a little more chocolate inside that cherry. It’s a cookie that will make you smile and toast your Grandma. Enjoy, my friends!
Thanks for playing along this year. I hope between these twelve recipes and all those of years past, you’ve made some great cookies. Have a lovely holiday, be smart and be safe.
36 One Dough/Many Cookies from years past:
Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls
Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles,
Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze
Chocolate: Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers, Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles,
Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars
Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes
2020 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies line up to date:
Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough
Day 1: Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers
Day 2: Chocolate Banana Petit Four
Day 3: Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies
Day 4: Andes Mint Chip Cookies
Day 5: Chocolate Lebkuchen
Day 6: Fudge Tarts
Day 7: Chocolate Marzipan Cookies
Day 8: Coconut Bullseyes
Day 9: Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Day 10: Chocolate Almond Crescents
Day 11: Holiday Mallomars
DAY 12: CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY COOKIES
Start with the base chocolate dough – recipe here. I used a dutched cocoa powder for this one. If you make the smallest batch, with 1/8 piece of dough, the measurements get a little funky. A scale will help – one whole large egg white weighs about 1 oz/30 grams.
- Drain the cherries and pat dry with paper towels.
- Stuff a chocolate chip into the center of each cherry.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the room temperature base cookie dough, baking soda, baking powder and egg white(s).
- Mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Roll the dough into Tablespoon sized balls.
- Press chocolate chip filled cherry into the center of the cookie dough, pressing to enclose the dough around the cherry. Give it a little roll on the counter to make sure the cherry is fully enclosed.
- Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (the cookies can be frozen on a sheet pan until firm, transferred to a Ziploc bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake directly from the freezer.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2-3 sheet pans with parchment or silicone baking sheets.
- Place the chilled cookie balls on the prepared sheet pans, about 1 ½” apart.
- Bake 8 minutes until the cookie edges are just firm to the touch, rotating the pans halfway through baking (top to bottom, front to back.) It’s best to slightly underbake this one.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze: melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave (50% power in 45 second bursts), stopping just before the chocolate is fully melted.
- Stir to fully melt the chocolate, add the oil and stir to combine.
- To coat: Line a sheet pan with a clean sheet of parchment.
- Dip each cooled cookie into the glaze to fully coat as much as possible.
- Turn and place on the prepared pan and leave to sit for several hours to allow the glaze to fully set.
STRESSCAKE 