Description
Delight in these rich Chocolate and Cherry Lovers Cookies, perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth with the perfect balance of deep cocoa flavor and tart dried cherries. Soft in the center with slightly crisp edges, these homemade cookies combine semi-sweet chocolate chips and dried cherries for an irresistible treat ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Add-ins
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes. This step is essential for the right cookie texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time to incorporate them evenly, then mix in the vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to distribute the leavening agents and cocoa evenly throughout the dough.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough, which could result in tough cookies.
- Fold in Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the dried cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips, distributing them evenly throughout the dough for bursts of tartness and chocolate in every bite.
- Shape Cookies on Baking Sheets: Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges have set but the centers remain soft to achieve the perfect chewy texture.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, which ensures they finish setting without becoming hard.
Notes
- For chewier cookies, slightly underbake by removing them at 10 minutes.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Dried cherries can be substituted with dried cranberries or raisins if preferred.
- Ensure butter is softened but not melted for better creaming with sugars.
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking can enhance flavor and reduce spreading.
