Cherry Kiss Cookies
Our cherry kiss cookies feature a bright pink color, delicious cherry flavor, and a chocolate kiss on top.
Servings: 28
Calories: 160kcal
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
- 1½ teaspoons cherry extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 to 5 drops red food color gel
- ⅓ cup maraschino cherries
- 1 tablespoon maraschino cherries, finely chopped
- Pink sanding sugar, for rolling the dough balls in. I used a 2.46-ounce container
- 42 unwrapped chocolate kisses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set it aside.
- Using a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the softened butter and the powdered sugar for 1½ to 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the cherry juice, cherry extract, and almond extract. Continue beating for another 1 minute until the cherry juice and extracts are well incorporated.
- Add the red food color gel and continue mixing for another 30 seconds, or until the color is uniform and no streaks appear.
- Lower the mixer speed to medium, add the flour mixture, and continue mixing until the flour is well combined.
- Add the chopped cherries and mix just until the cherries are evenly distributed.
- Add the pink sanding sugar to a small mixing bowl. Set it aside.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the dough. Roll into a ball.
- Roll the dough ball in the sanding sugar. Gently shake off the excess sanding sugar. Place the coated cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet. Space the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, paying close attention that the edges do not turn brown. The edges may crack just slightly.
- Once you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately gently press an unwrapped chocolate kiss in the center of the cookie. The edges may crack when depressed, but that is normal. Allow the cookies to rest on the cookies for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
- The baking soda is what helps make this recipe so soft and chewy. If you omit the baking soda, you will end up with a crunchy and crisp cookie.
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
- Make sure to add the kiss to the middle of each cookie base while the cookies are still warm. You want them to stick to the top of the cookie, and they won’t do that if the cookies are already cooled.
Nutrition
Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 204IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg