So What if I’m a Rebel: Dark Cherry Chocolate Cookies
Is there a “rule book” in food photography that says you can’t eat bites of your photo subject? Even if it is oozing warm chocolate? Because I just realized that I do it a lot, and after taking a quick surf through the cookies section on the Food Network and Betty Crocker websites, it doesn’t appear that those people are hungry when they shoot photos of their sweets. Hmm. I guess I’ll have to publish my own cookbook – with pages of scrumptious recipes and nicely lit pictures of scattered crumbs and dirty dishes. Just like at home. I’ve never been one to follow rules anyway.
The Chips
The only thing I ever knew to use cherry chips for was my mom’s recipe for Cherry Bing Bars. So last year, I created a recipe for cupcakes using cherry flavored baking chips and black cherry soda. (Yum!) And now I have a new cookie to share with you. I use Gurley’s Sweet Cherry Chips because since they are made in Willmar, Minnesota, I am able to find them at some grocery stores in my area.
Cookie Dough
I read a cookie baking study last year but I don’t know where I saw it. Here’s what I remember though – if you mix up a batch of cookie dough and bake them right away, they will taste good. If you stick that dough, covered, in the refrigerator for a day and then bake them, they will taste even better. But if you stir up a batch of cookie dough and let it sit covered in the refrigerator for two or three days, the cookies will come out more flavorful, more delicious than ever. After about four days or so in the fridge I think, they just don’t get any better so you might as well bake at day two or three.
Sweet wishes,
Dark Cherry Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature , 2 sticks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cherry extract
- 2 eggs, large
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chopped cherry-flavored baking morsels, or finely grated
- 1 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
- powdered confectioners sugar to sprinkle on top, optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, cream together softened butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and cherry extract until creamy.
- Beat in eggs until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in corn syrup. Gradually beat in flour mixture until combined. Stir in the chopped cherry chips and the cacao chips.
- Drop by extra-large teaspoons full onto a baking sheet. (Makes 6 cookies at a time on regular sized cookie sheets.) Bake at 375˚ for 15 minutes or until the edges are crispy and the middle is just set.
- Cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack. When completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
All text and images © Staci Mergenthal • Random Sweets
I’ve never heard of cherry chips until this post! Your cookies look awesome inside and out!
I’m happy to introduce you to them, Paula. 🙂 Your comment made me realize there may be others who haven’t heard of cherry chips so I added a link to a brand I can buy around here. They are a “cherry-flavored baking morsel” so you can use them like chocolate chips.http://loghousefoods.elsstore.com/view/product/?id=18564&cid=2548