If you love cherries and chocolate, you are going to adore these Cherry Blossom Cookies. Soft shortbread maraschino cherry cookies topped with a Hershey’s Kiss.
The Best Cherry Blossom Cookie Recipe
The sweet maraschino cherries add amazing flavor to these homemade cherry cookies. I add juice and chopped cherries to really take it over the top. The Hershey’s kiss on top adds a bite of chocolate that pairs perfectly with the cherries. I am not usually a fan of cherry desserts, but I love these cookies! Even my picky kiddos enjoy them. If you like to enjoy a maraschino cherry on top of a sundae or even fresh cherries, you are going to love these.
Cherry Blossom Cookies are a delightful treat that perfectly combines the soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture of a classic shortbread cookie with the sweet burst of cherry flavor. These cookies, often called “cherry kiss cookies”, are a popular choice for the Holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, where their delicate pink hue adds a festive touch. The rich, buttery dough is enhanced with a hint of almond extract, making each bite irresistible.
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Cherry Blossom Cookies
- Easy to make. This is a simple recipe that anyone can pull off — even if you don’t usually bake!
- Budget-friendly. All of the ingredients are inexpensive, making this a great recipe for tight budgets.
- Ready in 30 minutes. Prep and baking time total 30 minutes or less.
What You’ll Need
With just a few simple, everyday ingredients, you can make the perfect cherry blossom cookie at home. Everything can be found at any grocery store, and you don’t have to worry about what’s in season for maraschino cherries.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter in this recipe because I add salt as well. Using salted butter will give these cookies a salty taste. Ensure that you allow the butter enough time to soften before you make the cookie dough so it mixes well.
- Sugars: I use powdered sugar in the cookie dough and granulated sugar to coat the dough balls before they bake for a crunchy exterior.
- Salt: I add a little salt to balance and enhance the sweetness and maraschino cherry flavor.
- Maraschino cherries and juice: Both chopped cherries and a little juice add the perfect amount of cherry to these cookies.
- Almond extract: Cherry and almond are a classic combo. In this cherry blossom cookie recipe, almond extract works perfectly in place of vanilla extract.
- Red food coloring: This is an optional ingredient you may add. It gives the cookies a pink color.
- Flour: The only real dry ingredient in this recipe is flour. I use simple all-purpose flour in these cookies.
- Hershey’s kisses: These are to top the baked cherry blossoms. They add a pop of chocolate.
How to Make Cherry Blossom Cookies
Making the cherry blossom cookie dough is very easy. In 30 minutes, you will have tasty cookies cooling on your counter!
- Prep oven and baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar. Add the softened butter and powdered sugar to a large bowl or stand mixer. Cream them together until they are creamy and well combined.
- Add wet ingredients and salt. Stir in the salt, cherry juice, almond extract, and liquid red food coloring.
- Gradually add flour. Slowly add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms and all the flour is combined.
- Fold in cherries. Gently mix in the chopped maraschino cherries.
- Scoop and roll in sugar. Scoop one tablespoon of cookie dough, form a ball, and roll in the granulated sugar. Repeat this process for the remaining dough and place it on the baking sheet.
- Bake. Put it in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. The middle will be set, and the edges will be golden.
- Add kisses and cool. Place a Hershey’s kiss in the center of each baked cookie. Let the cookies cool slightly on the pan, and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Chill if too sticky. If the cookie dough is a little too sticky, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before you make the dough balls.
- Drain cherries. Thoroughly drain the maraschino cherries before you chop them to prevent wet cookie dough.
- Try another chocolate kiss flavor. Dark chocolate or even white chocolate would be super tasty on these cookies.
Proper Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature or 2 weeks in the refrigerator. To freeze them, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature for a couple of hours before you enjoy them!
More Cherry Recipes to Try
- Cherry Cheesecake Brownies
- Cherry Lemonade Bars
- Layered Cherry Coke Cake
- Cherry Almond Bundt Cake
- Cherry Cream Cheese Crescent Ring
Cherry Blossom Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
- ½ teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
- 2-4 drops red food coloring optional
- 2 – 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup maraschino cherries finely chopped and drained
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling
- 24 Hershey’s Kisses unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Mix in the salt, cherry juice, almond extract and red food coloring (if using).
- Gradually add the flour to the wet mixture, starting with 2 cups and adding more flour if needed until a soft dough forms. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the dough and roll them into balls. Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar to coat.
- Place the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, space them about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, gently press a kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Last Step:
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Notes
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- If the dough feels too soft or sticky to handle, you can chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before rolling it into balls.
- Drain the maraschino cherries well before chopping to avoid excess moisture in the dough. If necessary, pat them dry with a paper towel.
- The red food coloring is optional but adds a lovely pink hue to the cookies, making them visually appealing.
- You can experiment by using different flavored Kisses such as dark chocolate, caramel-filled, or even white chocolate for a unique twist.
Nutrition
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1 thought on “Cherry Blossom Cookies”
Great instructions;can’t wait to make!