Irresistibly Sweet Homemade Valentine's Day Cherry Cookies
These Homemade Valentine’s Day Cherry Cookies blend rich flavors and festive colors, perfect for sharing the love.
Equipment
- Oven
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Refrigerator
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1.25 cups Unsalted Butter ensures richness and structure
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar adds sweetness while providing a tender texture
- 2.5 cups All-Purpose Flour King Arthur recommended for consistent results
- 6 oz Maraschino Cherries finely chopped, drained and dried
- 5 tsp Maraschino Cherry Juice enhances flavor
- 1 tsp Baking Powder helps the cookies rise
- 0.5 tsp Salt balances sweetness
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract adds depth of flavor
- 8 drops Red Food Coloring achieves festive pink color
- 0.25 tsp Almond Extract offers a subtle nutty flavor
For the Topping
- 24 pieces Chocolate Kisses to top the cookies
Instructions
How to Make Homemade Valentine’s Day Cherry Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the maraschino cherries finely and reserve the juice.
- Cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the reserved cherry juice, vanilla extract, almond extract, and food coloring.
- Add 2 cups of flour gradually, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Gently fold in chopped cherries with remaining flour.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes, then roll into 1-inch balls.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until set but still soft in the center, then press a chocolate kiss into each cookie.
- Rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Notes
Optional: Drizzle some melted white chocolate over cooled cookies for extra sweetness.