Well, my husband asked for a vanilla cookie this week. Vanilla is a great starting point for a new cookie, but I wanted to add something else to the cookies to make them interesting. The main concept was concentrating on getting a good vanilla taste and adding a dried fruit that would complement the vanilla.
I wanted a dried fruit that was a little larger than a blueberry or cranberry. I decided to use the dried cherries, which are a nice size and would fill the cookie with every bite.
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How I Create a Cookie Recipe
I have had some people ask me how I create a cookie recipe, so I am giving you the oh-so-technical approach I use to develop my creations.
The best I can tell you is I envision how I want the cookie to look, then start writing the ingredients on what I think would go into the recipe to achieve those results.
As you can see, it does take tweaks and adjustments to get what I want. The hardest part is being able to read what I wrote later when I am writing up the recipe and the directions.
Ingredients
- Butter unsalted
- Sugar white
- Powdered sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Vanilla bean paste
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher Salt
- Dried Regular Cherries
Making Cherry Vanilla Cookies
These cherry vanilla cookies are a great whip-up-and-bake kind of cookie. There are only a few ingredients, so they are easy to bake on a Saturday morning with the kids. Just mix, bake, and eat a few.
Prepping and Mixing
Weigh or measure both sugars into a bowl and set aside. Weigh or measure the flour, then add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. I run a whisk through to blend.
Start by cutting the butter into cubes. You want to cream the butter, and this will help bring the butter to room temperature.
Turn the mixer to a medium speed and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. This will depend on how cold your butter was to start with. If the butter is too hard, you can wrap a warm wet towel around the mixer bowl to help warm the butter.
Next, add the vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, and the egg. Mix for a minute. Scrape down the bowl and, on a low mixer speed, slowly add the flour.
Using a spatula, make sure all the flour is incorporated. Add the dried cherries and blend for 15 seconds with the mixer. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Scoop and Bake
Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scooper, place 12 cookie mounds evenly on one of the prepared cookie sheet pans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Once out of the oven, move the cookies to a cooling rack to finish.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
I used dried cherries because they have a more concentrated flavor and chewy texture. You can experiment with fresh or frozen cherries. Just be sure there are no pits, and they are cut up and drained. They will add more moisture to the cookie batter, which can make the cookies a little soggy in a day or two.
Oh, my yes! I love cherries and chocolate. Both of these ingredients go very well with vanilla. There is 1 ½ cup of dried cherries, so you may want to lower that amount to a cup and ½ cup of chocolate chips.
Honestly, these were sitting in a plastic container on my counter. Half the time, the lid was just laying on top and not sealed.
Other Cookies With Cherries to Try
Recipe
Cherry Vanilla Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar white
- ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 (1) Egg
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla bean paste
- 2 ⅓ cup (291.67 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 1 ½ cup (207 g) Dried Regular Cherries
Instructions
- Weigh or measure both sugars into a bowl and set it aside. Now, weigh or measure the flour. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the flour and whisk to blend.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the butter until you get soft peaks. Next, add the sugars and mix on a medium mixer speed for 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and the vanilla bean paste and mix for a minute. I don't overbeat the egg,
- Scrape down the bowl sides and turn the mixer to a low speed. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Don't over-mix. If you have some loose flour bits in the bottom of the bowl, you can incorporate them into the rest of the cookie dough using either your hands or a spatula. Finally, add the dried cherries and mix them into the cookie dough. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C). Line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scooper, place twelve mounds onto a prepared pan. Space them evenly, leaving a couple of inches between mounds. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Move to a cooling rack once out of the oven.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Kath says
Oops I don't see cherries added in the mix. Can you use fresh cherries?
Barbara says
Hi Kath, Oops is right, lol! Can you tell it is the holidays, and I am running a bit ragged? You can use fresh cherry, but keep in mind that using fresh fruit comes with some risk of soggy cookies in a few days. If you cut them in half and cut side down on a paper towel, this will help get rid of some of the juices. I change the paper towels a couple of times. I did fix the recipe... 🙂 - Barbara