By CAILIN BRINEY for the Flathead Beacon
For years I have been making cookie plates to give to my friends and co-workers for Christmas.
I started off relatively small, and I have gradually increased to 14 different kinds of treats including truffles and a quick bread.
Seeing the joy on people’s faces makes the two full days of baking well worth it.
Among the different cookies are some that my mom made when I was growing up (and she still makes them to this day).
Over the past several years, I have acquired recipes of my own that have found a permanent home on my cookie platters.
One of my favorites is a cherry tea cake cookie. It is incredibly simple to make, yet it is unique and absolutely packed with flavor.
My husband isn’t a huge fan of cherry, and even he loves them, so I consider that quite an accomplishment!
This fluffy cookie has a balanced flavor of maraschino cherries and almond extract, and the white chocolate drizzle marries the cookie’s flavors together extremely well.
Not only will they make your home smell delicious, but they will surely make any member of your family into a cherry lover.
Christmas isn’t complete without cookies, and I hope these cookies will make your holiday season merry and bright.
Cherry Tea Cake Cookies | Courtesy photo
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 2 tsp. maraschino cherry liquid
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1/4 tsp. red food color
- 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 16 oz. drained maraschino cherries, chopped
- 1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, cherry liquid, almond extract and food color with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. On low speed, beat in flour and salt. Stir in cherries.
- Shape dough into one-inch balls. On an ungreased cookie sheet, place balls 2 inches apart.
- Bake 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling racks. Cool 20 to 30 minutes.
- In 1-quart resalable freezer plastic bag, place baking chips and seal bag. Microwave on high for 35 to 50 seconds, squeezing chips in bag every 15 seconds until chips are melted and smooth. Cut small tip from bottom corner of bag; drizzle melted chips over cookies.
Enjoy!
****