Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer or hand mixer and large bowl
- Medium bowl for dry ingredients
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Small bowls for sugar and chopped cherries
- Wire cooling rack
Step-by-Step Instructions
I always start by whisking together my dry ingredients—the flour, baking powder, and salt—in a medium bowl. This isn’t just busywork; it ensures every bit of leavening is evenly distributed so your cookies bake up uniformly. I set this aside and turn to my stand mixer. In the bowl, I combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Here’s where patience pays off: I beat them together on medium-high speed for a full 3 to 4 minutes. I watch for the mixture to become very pale, fluffy, and almost like a soft frosting. This step creams air into the dough, which is the secret to a tender, light cookie, not a dense one. Then, I scrape down the bowl and add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, mixing until just combined.
Now for the fun part: adding color and flavor. With the mixer on low, I slowly drizzle in the ¼ cup of maraschino cherry juice. The dough will instantly turn a beautiful, soft pastel pink. It’s such a lovely moment! I then add the dry ingredients in two or three additions, mixing on low just until the flour disappears. The final step is the cherries. I always fold these in by hand with a spatula. If you use the mixer, you’ll risk breaking them down too much and staining the entire dough a deeper, uneven pink. Gently folding ensures those pretty little red specks stay intact.
Next, I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and here’s my non-negotiable tip: I chill the dough for at least one hour, and up to overnight. I learned this the hard way. The first time I skipped the chill, my cookies spread into flat, crispy puddles in the oven. Chilling firms up the butter, preventing excessive spread and allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. When ready to bake, I preheat my oven to 350°F (175°C) and line my sheets with parchment. I scoop the dough (about 1.5 tablespoons per cookie), roll it into a ball, then roll it generously in a bowl of extra granulated sugar. This creates that classic, crackly, sparkling sugar crust.(See the next page below to continue…)