Description
Delightful Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies invite sweet moments of pure indulgence. Buttery, crumbly shortbread meets tart cherries and nutty almonds, creating a perfect companion for afternoon tea or quiet celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 34 cup (12 tablespoons; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 23 cup (134g) granulated sugar
Flavoring Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) maraschino cherry juice
- 16 maraschino cherries (drained and chopped)
Optional Topping:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) white chocolate
Instructions
- Prepare oven environment by setting temperature to 350°F and lining baking sheets with parchment paper for optimal cookie performance.
- Create a creamy butter and sugar base by vigorously mixing until achieving a light, airy texture that promises delicate cookies.
- Infuse flavor complexity by incorporating vanilla essence, almond extract, and vibrant maraschino cherry juice into the butter mixture.
- Gently introduce flour to the wet ingredients, carefully blending until just combined to maintain the delicate shortbread texture.
- Carefully distribute chopped maraschino cherries throughout the dough, ensuring even flavor distribution in each morsel.
- Craft uniform cookie spheres by rolling dough into consistent 1-inch balls, strategically positioning them on prepared baking sheets.
- Optional enhancement involves delicately drizzling melted white chocolate over the cookies for an elegant finishing touch.
- Bake the cookies, monitoring their transformation until edges develop a subtle golden hue, typically requiring 12-15 minutes of precise oven time.
- Allow cookies to rest briefly on baking sheets to stabilize, then transition to a wire cooling rack for complete temperature reduction and texture setting.
Notes
- Drain cherries thoroughly to prevent excess moisture from making cookies soggy, ensuring a perfect texture.
- Chill dough for 30 minutes before rolling to help cookies maintain shape and prevent spreading during baking.
- For gluten-sensitive guests, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, keeping the same measurements.
- Enhance almond flavor by adding a sprinkle of sliced almonds on top before baking for extra crunch and visual appeal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 139
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 12mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 30mg