Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread (Print Version)
Buttery shortbread cookies dotted with bright red maraschino cherries for festive holiday baking
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
→ Add-ins
07 - 3/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained, patted dry, and chopped
08 - 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Mix in vanilla and almond extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Add flour and salt; mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chips, if using.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized amounts of dough and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
07 - Gently flatten each cookie with your palm or the bottom of a glass.
08 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until edges are just set and bottoms are lightly golden.
09 - Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combination of almond and vanilla extracts creates this cozy bakery fragrance that makes everyone pause at the oven door
- These cookies travel beautifully in tins and actually taste better on day two when flavors have had time to become friends
02 -
- Drying the cherries thoroughly with paper towels is the most important step because excess moisture makes the dough gummy
- These cookies continue to firm up as they cool so do not panic if they feel slightly soft when you first pull them from the oven
03 -
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm because cold butter creates those signature flaky layers
- Use a kitchen scale to measure flour by weight which dramatically improves consistency in baking