Cherry Blossom Cookies
These Cherry Blossom Cookies is a soft, buttery treat with sweet cherry and almond flavor, finished with a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, festive gatherings, and cookie exchanges.
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries from a 12-ounce jar of cherries that have been drained, reserving 1 ½ tablespoon juice for the dough
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided (2 cups in the dough mixture and 2 tablespoons to mix into the chopped maraschino cherries)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1½ tablespoons maraschino cherry juice from the jar of maraschino cherries
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 drops red food coloring optional - for a slightly pink cookie dough
- ¼ cup granulated sugar to roll the cookie dough balls in before baking
- 36 Hershey’s Kiss chocolate candies unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Drain the jar of maraschino cherries, reserving 1 ½ tablespoons of the juice, then pat the cherries dry with a paper towel.¾ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
- Finely chop the cherries, add to a small bowl and toss to coat with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. This helps ensure the cherries evenly distribute into the dough when mixed. Set aside.2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the remaining 2 cups of all-purpose flour and salt to a separate bowl and set aside.½ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Add the reserved 1 ½ tablespoons cherry juice, almond extract, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat again until fully incorporated.½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl, mixing on low speed just until all the flour is fully incorporated. The dough will be stiff. If adding red food coloring to the dough, start with 2-3 drops, mix to incorporate, adding an additional 1-2 drops if desired to achieve a pink cookie dough color.4 drops red food coloring
- Using a rubber spatula, stir in the reserved chopped maraschino cherries until well distributed into the cookie dough.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop a level amount of dough and gently roll into a smooth ball in the palm of your hands.
- Roll the smooth ball in the granulated sugar just to lightly coat before placing onto a prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all the cookies have been scooped and rolled in the sugar. Place the cookies 1 ½ - 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet. 12-15 cookies should easily fit onto a large (approximately 12x16 inch) baking sheet.¼ cup granulated sugar
- Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes or just until lightly golden around the bottom edges of the cookies.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and gently press a single Hershey’s Kiss chocolate candy into the center of each warm cookie being careful not to push it too far into the cookie but just enough to slightly spread the cookie and for the candy to not fall off the top once cooled and set.36 Hershey’s Kiss chocolate candies
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before plating and serving.
Notes
Storage:
- Store: In a single layer in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.
- Reheat: Not necessary, but cookies can be gently warmed for 5 seconds in the microwave if you want a softer chocolate top.
- Freeze: Freeze baked cookies (without Kisses) in a sealed container up to 2 months. Add chocolate after thawing to keep them neat.
- Make ahead: Dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator before baking.
- Chop cherries finely and evenly for best distribution.
- Chill dough briefly if it feels sticky before rolling.
- Allow cookies to cool completely so the chocolate firms up before storing or stacking.
- For soft, buttery cherry cookies, remove them as soon as the edges turn lightly golden.
Nutrition
Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg
