It’s no secret that I enjoy baking for the holidays. When the holiday season draws near, one of my favorite things to do is to bake a wide variety of treats with my family and then package up a few dozen to share with friends and neighbors.
I start preparing early and usually add a few non-traditional cookie varieties to the mix. Back when I was a kid, my mom taught me how to bake, and it’s one of my favorite memories of her. For the sake of continuity, I have continued the practice and taught it to my own kids.
Years ago, I stumbled upon this recipe and immediately incorporated it into my standard cookie repertoire. Before anything else, I adore shortbread cookies for their unadulterated buttery goodness. Second, I was initially drawn to these cookies due to their vibrant hues, and I have been completely hooked ever since I tried one. The addition of cherries and chocolate to a buttery shortbread creates a delicious and universally adored treat. If you give these a try, you’ll want to include them in your annual batch of Christmas cookies.
Ingredients
2.25 cups of all-purpose flour
About a half a teaspoon of salt
a cup of salted butter, softened
An equivalent of half a cup of powdered sugar
A half tablespoon of vanilla extract
Use 3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries (fresh or dried are both fine) and spread them out on paper towels to absorb any remaining liquid.
Choc. chip measure: 2/3 c. (mini or regular)
Cherry juice can be removed by chopping the cherries and spreading them out on a paper towel.
Flour and salt should be mixed together in a bowl and then put aside.
Cream together 1 cup unsalted softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a larger mixing bowl or stand mixer. Put in some vanilla and stir.
To the flour and salt, turn the mixer to low and mix until larger clumps form.
You can use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to gently fold in the chocolate chips and maraschino cherries.
If the dough is not formed into a log and pressed together well, it will crumble when the cookies are cut (the log should be about 2 inches thick) It needs to chill in the fridge for at least two hours after being wrapped in plastic.
Chill the dough before preheating the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To serve, remove the log from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and cut it into slices (about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick); if the slices fall apart, just press them back together. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet, leaving about an inch of space between each.
Keep the cookies in the oven for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan once after 10 minutes. They’ll get golden on the bottom and crisp on top.
Once they’ve cooled for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, transfer them to a rack to finish cooling.