These White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread this is the perfect classic Christmas cookie for you! There are maraschino cherries and almond flavor. The cookie dough is a shortbread (no eggs). Once the cookies are baked, they are dipped in white chocolate. Warning: these are highly addictive!
I originally published this recipe in 2008, when I first started this food blog. The photos were awful, which explains why I had only one comment (and that only my friends and family were reading my blog, at that time). I make these Christmas cookies every year, so it was time for new photos!
I love shortbread, anything that has almond flavor and maraschino cherries. So, when I found this recipe I knew I had to try it. I know… I’ve heard the “red dye scare” about maraschino cherries, but I don’t care! I doubt I eat these often enough to risk the “danger”! These bright red cherries bring back childhood memories of Shirley Temples “mocktails”. My son loves them, too. So, when I tasted the dough to this recipe, I knew I had a winner.
Making the dough, rolling it into a log a couple of days later, helped to organize my holiday cookie baking. When it was time to make them, just slice and bake!
TASTING NOTES: If you’re a white chocolate fan, and love the flavor or maraschino cherries– this cookie is for the win! They are really good and I think that they would be fun to make for Valentine’s Day. My son keeps trying to swipe them, so I need to hurry up and wrap them as party favors for our Christmas Eve Dinner guests.
White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries drained and finely chopped
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter cold ,cut into small squares
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 drops cherry juice
For the chocolate dip:
- 12 ounces white baking chocolate finely chopped (I use Ghirardelli.); divided
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Garnish (optional)
- small dish with granulated sugar for dipping
- White nonpareils red sparkling sugar, or red edible glitter (optional)
Instructions
- Add the flour and sugar to the bowl of the food processor and pulse for a couple seconds until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembled fine crumbs, about 10 pulses.
- Pour the flour mixture into the medium mixing bowl. Stir in the chopped cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in the almond extract and the cherry juice. Mix with your hands until it forms a smooth ball, about 5 minutes. You may have to press on the dough to make it form a ball. Wrap the dough up in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Scoop out dough, about 2 teaspoons for each cookie, and shape it into balls. Hold each dough ball in your hand for about 15 to 20 seconds to let your body heat help hold the dough together. Place balls 2 inches apart on the ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in water and sugar, flatten each ball to about 1/4-inch high. If the edges crack, press the cracks back together with your fingers.
- Optional: Instead of making individual cookie balls, I formed a cookie "log" and refrigerated until firm; then sliced into individual cookies.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 3 to 4 minutes on the cookie sheet to let the bottoms finish setting, and then transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
For the white chocolate dip:
- In a small saucepan, add the remaining 8 ounces of chopped white chocolate and the butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Or microwave the chocolate and butter for 1 minute at 70% and stir, and then microwave in 10 to 15 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth with only a few chunks remaining. Stir in the remaining chunks.
- Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off. Sprinkle nonpareils or the decorative sugar on the wet chocolate. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set.
- STORE: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container and cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.Edit my recipe
Nutrition
I’ve had these, they are awesome!
Mmm those look lovely! I just love cherry-flavored desserts 🙂
Perfect excuse for me to buy a jar of those cherries! What cute cookies!