Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Sometimes you just need a fuss-free, quick and easy treat to throw together at the last minute. A "hurry--the guests will be here in an hour!" snack for your holiday party. The nearly midnight "I forgot I was in charge of dessert for the office potluck tomorrow!" treat. Or maybe you just need chocolate. Now. Right now. Right this instant, or else. Whatever the reason, sometimes you just need these cookies.

I've come to love these pantry cleaner types of cookies. They're always good in a pinch, when the urge (or necessity) to bake strikes with limited time and supplies. Just pull out whatever you have, throw it in the mix, and reap the deliciousness that will come forth from your oven in a short amount of time.

Almost brownie-like cookies studded with tart cherries and gooey chocolate chips--they're meant to share. You won't want to. You'll want to hide in a corner and eat the entire batch alone, but trust me. You should probably share.  

The most wonderful part of these cookies is that they're very flexible. No cherries? Try cranberries. Throw in some crushed candy cane bits and use peppermint extract instead. Perfect for the season! Make them festive with red and green M&Ms. Or leave out the extras entirely, and just have the perfect chocolatey chocolate cookie. You can't go wrong. Just be sure to serve them with a big glass of milk because these cookies and milk are total BFFs.

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Chocolate Cherry Cookies
From The Columbus Dispatch Special Holiday Cookie Section, Dec 1, 2011 Pg 6
Makes 1 1/2 dozen



4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cherry extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries


1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla and cherry extracts, blending to combine. Add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and dried cherries by hand. (Dough will be sticky and thick.)
4. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough onto prepared cookie sheets,  about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies have lost their shine, about 8 to 10  minutes. Let stand on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.