Cherry Almond with Dark Chocolate Drizzle Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Cherries pair perfectly with almonds, and then to add sweetness but not overpower the cherry, I added just a touch of dark chocolate on top.

Prep Time30

Total Bake Time40

Chill1

Total Time2 10

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Medium

Servings: cookies

Calories: 233kcal

My dried cherries were a little bigger than raisins, and I wanted to plump them up. Cover them in cool water and rinse and drain. Then cover them again with cool water and add the amaretto. Leave them in the water for 5 to 10 minutes before draining them. I put paper towels down and lay the cherries on the paper towels to absorb some of the liquid. Set them aside.

In a bowl, weigh or measure the flour and baking powder. Run a whisk through to blend. In another bowl, weigh or measure the powdered sugar and set it aside.
Cream the butter and the cream cheese together, mixing on a medium speed for about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer down to slow speed and gradually add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Turn the mixer speed back to medium-low and add one egg at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl down.
Gradually add the flour baking powder mixture. I stop and scrape the bowl down the sides and across the bottom to make sure all the flour is incorporated. Add the almond slices and add the cherries last. Just mix long enough to spread the cherries around in the cookie dough. Be careful not to mix too long, or it will break the cherries into small pieces. You can mix the cherries a little by hand with a spatula if needed. Cover the cookie dough loosely and put it into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator, and add 12 scoops to a pan using a medium cookie scooper. I overfill the scooper a little, so I can flatten the cookie mounds. I take a piece of parchment paper, put it between the cookie mound and the bottom of a drinking glass, and press down lightly. I keep the cookies about ¾" thick.
Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350°F (175°C or 180°C). Move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Let them cool completely before starting the drizzle.

Take the dark chocolate chips and microwave them for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds and stir. You can cut a tiny corner off a sturdy Ziplock bag or use a small pastry bag and a little hole size tip to squeeze the chocolate on top of each cookie. I freehand the chocolate by going back and forth with the chocolate on a spoon. You do not need much dark chocolate for the wonderful dark chocolate taste.