Cherry Kiss Cookies
on Dec 16, 2016, Updated Nov 27, 2020
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Cherry Cookies Cookies with a chocolate kiss highlight the very best in dessert treats. Showcasing the timeless love affair between chocolate and cherries, these cookies are simple to make and perfect for the holidays or any occasion.
If you are new to baking or an experienced baker, take a look at our in-house professional chef’s post on how to bake cookies for beginners. It’s a great review for all!
These cherry kiss cookies are perfect for the holidays or any day when you need a little extra love.
About these Kiss Cookies
What says love, like cherries and dark chocolate?
This Cherry Kiss Cookies Recipe is deeply rooted within the timeless love affair between cherries and chocolate. If you’ve tried our popular no bake cherry cheesecake or our chocolate whiskey cake, you know we are in love with both of these ingredients!
We’re not talking just any chocolate. These cookies are all about dark chocolate.
Featuring a combination of cherry juice, chopped maraschino cherries, and dark chocolate Hershey kisses, this Cherry Kiss Cookies Recipe harkens back to the basics, even to the extent of being able to mix this batter by hand with a fork. No electronics necessary (said with glee by a dad of six boys).
I’ve gotten into the habit of baking almost everything on a stone, in all probability all for my own personal love affair with homemade pizza recipes. With this Cherry Kiss Cookies Recipe though, I make an exception.
The heat from a stone carries over long (and intensely) after it comes out of the oven. As soon as these cookies are finished baking, the kisses are placed in their centers.
Using a metal cookie sheet helps ensure that the chocolate kisses are don’t get too warm via conduction, allowing for a gentle softening of the chocolate, instead of an all-out meltdown.
This recipe makes about 30 cookies.
If you’re looking for a simple and delicious cookie treat, look no further. These Cherry Cookies not only taste great, they’re a tasty reminder of the enduring ying and yang between chocolate and cherries.
A love affair that will surely live on forever.
Cherry Kiss Cookies are easy to make and easy to eat
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Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 6 drops red food coloring, optional
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup coarsely chopped maraschino cherries
- About 30milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar and salt. Mix in cherry juice, extract and optional food coloring. Gradually stir in flour and baking soda. Fold in cherries.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on to greased baking sheet.
- Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cook. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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As someone who makes these cookies every Christmas, I absolutely love them. I lost my original recipe, but this recipe was basically the same from what I could tell. My cookies came out perfect. They have the same flavor my previous cookies had, and baked perfectly.
Super bowl Sunday!! Always catering to my 3 adult boys… decided the DIL’s (and mom!). Needed our own sweet treat. Only change I made was a few more cherries. Absolutely adorable and so so so tasty!
I am disappointed in this recipe, which I was very excited about from the photo. I am making Valentine Sweet Treat boxes for family and friends and didn’t want to make the traditional peanut butter blossoms. This cookie seemed to be the perfect alternative and is festive looking. The cookie turned out flat as a pancake and really not much taste. I did see a comment that had some tweaks, so I might try that in the future.
This is a very good cookie and I love them
I made these following the recipe exactly, and they came out perfect and delicious!
YEAH! Thanks for the great feedback, Donna!
I had to make a few revisions to this recipe to get it to work. I added more sugar and flour and reduced the butter. I increased the sugar to 2 cups, cut the butter to 3/4 cup, increased the flour to 3 cups and added a few more cherries it worked well then.
They came out pretty, but I wasn’t impressed with the lack of cherry flavor. I actually took a risk and increased the juice, as well as adding a full cup of cherries. Baked for 11 and half minutes. The basic shortbread texture of the cookie is good, which is my reason for giving 4 stars. The cookies were soft and buttery. Unfortunately, even with the increase of cherry, any of the fruit flavor that may have existed was overwhelmed by the butter flavor and the chocolate. It is shame there isn’t a more definitive cherry presence in what is otherwise a good, basic cookie dough.
Thanks for your feedback on these cherry cookies; we appreciate hearing from you.
My family loves these cookies. Their a favorite of ours.
Thanks for the nice comments, Jeri. These are a favorite of our family as well!
Make sure you read these reviews, most of the 5 stars comment on how great they sound or how adorable the cookies look and are not actually a reflection of the recipe. The recipe itself does not work out well – very crumbly and flavorless.
Make sure you follow the recipe as written and watch the instructional video. These cookies turn out perfectly soft and chewy for us. Every. Time.
I’m having trouble seeing the video, and planning to bake these cookies this weekend. Any tips to share besides what is in the written recipe?
TIA!
Janine
Hi Janine. Sorry the link isn’t working for you, try the youtube video found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5J4NDiOIa8. As far as tips, just have fun!
Recipe was very easy to follow along. I didn’t read any of the other comments, but I did roll my cookies I’m sugar, as well as add extra juice and cherries. They didnt have a lot of cherry flavor, but they are pretty! Next time I would add even more juice and cherries in hopes to add more flavor!
Is maraschino cherry juice just the juice in the jar with the cherries, or something separate I should look for?
Yes, thanks for the question!