Christmas time is here!! Everybody is getting ready to welcome the month of December which has so many gifts, fun, and delicious desserts for us, it’s a wonderful way to share your own Christmas traditions with family and friends throughout the holiday season. Cause I traditionally cook these cookies for this particular holiday.
These cookies are soft and crumbly, fragrant, and very tasty. And the tandem of maraschino cherry and chocolate make it truly presentable.
Why did my Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies spread?
The peculiarity of this cookies is that it includes a large amount of butter. When it enters the oven, the butter quickly softens and distribute before the cookies are baked.
If there are too much butter and too little flour, the cookies will lose their shape.
So, follow the instructions and carefully measure the number of ingredients. Also, use the dough immediately after the refrigerator to prevent the butter from melting.
You can first bake 1-2 cookies per sample. See how it behaves in the oven and if you need – rectify the situation by adding a little flour. To do this, wait until the dough is softened to room temperature.
Pour in the flour, knead, make the log and freeze again. Do not forget that you should use high-quality butter, and in no case replace it with margarine.
MARASCHINO CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup unsalted butter- room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup maraschino cherries-chopped (spread cherries on the paper towel to drain well or you can use candied
- maraschino cherries)
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
How to make Cherry Shortbread Cookies?
- Step 1. Fold the softened butter into the mixer bowl and beat.
- Step 2. Pour the powdered sugar, vanilla, and beat until creamy. Start at a low speed, gradually increasing.
- Step 3. In a separate bowl or in a measuring cup, mix flour and salt, sift.
- Step 4. Pour the flour into the bowl to the butter mixture and beat until a dough is formed. Periodically clean the walls of the dough.
- Step 5. Pour the chopped cherry and chocolate chips, mix.
- Step 6. Put the dough on a piece of cling film and form a long log. Press well with your fingers so that no air is left inside the dough. Wrap in cling film and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
- Step 7. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it with a sharp knife into round cookies. Thickness is approximately 1/4 to 1/3 inch. If the dough crumbles during slicing, simply straighten and press with your fingers.
- Step 8. Put the cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment about an inch apart from each other. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool and only then remove from the baking sheet.
If you bake cookies for less than 15 minutes, the texture will be soft. If baked for more than 15 minutes, the cookies will be crispy.
Can you freeze Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies?
You can freeze the dough after preparation. When you have formed the dough log, wrap it with cling film and put it in the freezer. You can store it for 3-4 months.
You will not need a separate time for defrosting. With a large and sharp knife, you can cut the dough into portioned cookies, and then bake immediately.
How to store Cherry Shortbread Cookies?
Believe me, such cookies are not stored for a long time! And not because it is perishable, but because it is quick-eaten. Keep it at room temperature.
When folded into a bag or airtight container, cookies will become softer and crumbly over time. If you like crispy cookies, do not cover it tightly.
OTHER RECIPES COOKIES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
- Ritz Cracker Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Perfect Apple Pie Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Butter Pecan Cookies For Tea Time
CHRISTMAS MARASCHINO CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter- room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup maraschino cherries-chopped (spread cherries on the paper towel to drain well or you can use candied maraschino cherries)
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Beat butter with a mixer with powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy cream.
- Combine the flour with salt, sift into the butter mixture and knead the dough.
- Add chopped cherries and chocolate chips, mix.
- Put the dough on a cling film, form a log, press with your hands, and put in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Cut the dough into round cookies, put on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 325 F for about 15 minutes.
- Cool the cookies completely, then remove them from the baking sheet and serve.
Notes
- If the butter does not have time to melt, chop it into pieces and melt a little in the microwave.
- It is better to use small chocolate drops or chocolate chips. So it will be more convenient to cut the dough log into cookies.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Cut and spread on parchment immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator.
- If the dough crumbles and breaks down after cutting, hold the cookies with your fingers.
Love to try this but don’t like chocolate. Any suggestions 🤔
Hi, Carolanne. I don’t like chocolate I’m my cookies either. I think I’m going to replace the chocolate with some chopped up walnuts.
I would love to make this weekend, am I able to store in freezer for Christmas?
Yes. You can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More in oven as I write this…great holiday cookie ! I used the candied cherries and the dough stayed nice and didnt turn pink. Nice flavor and will be making again! Its a keeper! Love it! Thank you for posting!
I am thinking about substituting almond extract for the vanilla. I think it will give more cherry flavor. What do you think?
great choice! you can safely use almond extract.
Love,,,,,,,,,,,Love these cookies I make these every year…:)
WOW! These were absolutely AMAZING! And I hate maraschino cherries! But I used them and I loved these! I originally made these yesterday to give away as Christmas cookies. Had a couple left over, scarfed them down and I just made a brand new batch for me to keep and eat! Maaaaybe I’ll share them! 🤣
They totally melt in your mouth and I can see what you mean about not worrying how to store them. They were gone within hours! Glad they are easy to make! This is a new staple for me for holiday baking! Thank you!
How wonderful, Jess! So glad you decided to give it a try and customize it to your liking!
Just made theses and they are easy and delicious 😋
Thank you for sharing
How wonderful, Ellen! So glad you decided to give it a try!
How thick do you slice cookies? Similar to recipe I make at christmas, but mine are drop cookies and are very fragile. These look like they would hold up better on cookie plates.
Yes, Darlene, this dough holds its shape well and does not spread over the baking sheet. I cut the dough log with a sharp knife immediately after cooling it in the refrigerator. The cookie thickness is approximately 0.5 inches.
These were very good. I like that you could make ahead of time. I had mine in the fridge for two days so I let them stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing. They also took about 18 minutes to bake, so start at about 12 minutes and monitor baking. I doubled the recipe and got 44 cookies. Next time I’ll use the mini morsels and less that the recipe indicates because I’d rather have more of the cherry flavor. Reminds me of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream. Super Yum.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back and letting me know what you thought.
I’d love to try it but I don’t see how much cream to use?
Hi TEN, there’s no cream on the recipe Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookie is without cream, check the ingredients below and watch the video please.
I can’t believe this but I’ve never actually made shortbread for the holidays! It’s time I change that with these babies. I love that you mixed maraschinos into these!
Hi ANN, you could try it, sounds good 🙂