Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Baked Until the Edges Set

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Baked Until the Edges Set keeps the shopping list focused on unsalted butter cool but pliable, light brown sugar, and egg. It serves 13 cookies.

Count on 1 hour of prep, 14 minutes of cooking, 4 hours of resting, about 5 hours from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• ¼ cup unsalted butter cool but pliable
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup maraschino cherries drained and chopped
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• ½ drop gel red food coloring optional

How the cooking goes

1. Drain the cherries. Several hours or the night before you plan to bake, pour the cherries into a sieve or colander and allow them to drain over a bowl. You can reserve the liquid for cocktails or Shirley Temples. Chop the cherries and return them to the sieve until you're ready to mix the dough.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Keep it to one side.
3. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and light brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until a paste forms.
4. Put the egg and beat it in thoroughly, scraping down the bowl at least once.
5. Put the almond extract and optional red food coloring. You can use a cake tester to dip it into the gel coloring, then swirl it in the bowl. A full drop would be way too much coloring.
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low then then add the dry ingredients in several additions, like when making these thick chocolate chip cookies, never letting the previous addition incorporate fully before adding the next.
7. Put the chopped cherries and mini chocolate chips and mix on low speed until distributed. You could also do this by hand with a silicone spatula.
8. Portion the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment using a medium cookie scoop or approximately the size of a golf ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
9. When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 325°F convection (with the fan) or 350°F conventional (no fan).
10. Line 2 sheet pans with baking paper and roll each piece of dough into a ball. Place on the sheet pans in staggered rows about 2 inches apart.
11. Oven-bake in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes or until the edges are set and the centers have puffed and look matte rather than shiny.
12. Cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then move it onto a wire rack to cool until it is no longer warm.

After it comes off the heat

Cool the sheet on a rack before the pieces are stacked. A covered tin keeps them for a few days.

If you want another plate from Chocolate, open Nutella Truffles with a Clear Method and Bourbon Chocolate Truffles with a Clear Method.