Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread (Printable)

Buttery shortbread loaded with sweet maraschino cherries for holiday celebrations.

# What goes in:

→ 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)

# Directions:

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 to 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 buttery crumble practically melts in your mouth while those jewel-toned cherries burst with every bite
  • They come together in under twenty minutes and look beautiful on any holiday platter without any fancy decorating skills
02 -
  • Dry those cherries thoroughly with paper towels, or they'll leave little damp pockets in your beautiful cookies
  • Underbaking slightly is better than overbaking since they continue cooking on the hot pan for those five minutes
03 -
  • Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it feels too soft or sticky to work with
  • Use a cookie scoop for uniform sizing so they all bake at the same rate

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