Description
Sweet chocolate cherry blossom cookies blend rich cocoa with delicate floral notes, creating a sensory journey through Japanese-inspired baking. Chocolate lovers will savor these elegant treats that combine intense dark chocolate and subtle cherry essence in one irresistible bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
- 24 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
- 16 maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) maraschino cherry juice
Optional Topping:
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Cream butter in a large mixing bowl using high-speed mixer until smooth and fluffy for approximately 1 minute.
- Incorporate sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts into the butter mixture, blending thoroughly on medium speed until well combined.
- Gradually introduce cherry juice while continuing to mix at high speed for one minute, ensuring even distribution of liquid.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gently fold in flour, mixing until a soft, pliable dough emerges.
- Fold chopped cherries into the dough, distributing them evenly throughout the mixture.
- Compress dough into a compact mass, then encase completely in plastic wrap, refrigerating for minimum 4 hours or up to 3 days to enhance flavor development.
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove chilled dough and form into small, uniform spheres approximately 1 tablespoon in size.
- Arrange cookie balls on prepared baking sheets, maintaining consistent spacing.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes until edges acquire a delicate golden hue.
- Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes after removing from oven.
- Gently press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each warm cookie.
- Immediately transfer cookies to refrigerator or freezer for 15 minutes to stabilize chocolate topping.
- Optional: Melt chocolate in microwave using 20-second intervals, stirring between each cycle.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies using a spoon or piping bottle for decorative finish.
Notes
- Enhance the cherry flavor by using high-quality cherry juice or adding a splash of cherry liqueur to the dough for deeper complexity.
- Keep dough chilled to prevent spreading and maintain the cookies’ perfect shape during baking.
- Use room temperature butter for smoother mixing and better dough consistency, ensuring even incorporation of ingredients.
- For gluten-free variation, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 197
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 32 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg