Description
Delight in these festive Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies, combining buttery, crumbly shortbread with bursts of sweet maraschino cherries and rich chocolate chips. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cookies are easy to prepare and baked to golden perfection, offering a festive twist to a classic treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add-ins
- 3/4 cup maraschino cherries, chopped and well drained
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare Butter Mixture: Beat the room temperature unsalted butter with powdered sugar and vanilla extract using a mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a creamy base for the dough.
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Form Dough: Sift the all-purpose flour combined with salt into the butter mixture. Knead gently to form a smooth dough, ensuring even incorporation of all ingredients.
- Add Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and chocolate chips into the dough, distributing them evenly throughout.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Place the dough on cling film and shape it into a log by pressing gently with your hands. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour to firm up, which makes slicing easier.
- Slice and Bake: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Remove the dough log from the refrigerator and slice it into round cookies. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until they begin to turn golden around the edges.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing. This ensures they set properly and reduces the chance of breakage.
Notes
- If the butter has not softened sufficiently, cut it into small pieces and microwave briefly to soften slightly without melting.
- Use small chocolate chips or drops to facilitate easy cutting of the dough log into neat cookie slices.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour to help it firm up; slice and place cookies on parchment immediately after removing from the refrigerator.
- If cookies crumble or break after slicing, support them gently with fingers to maintain shape.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
