Almond Cherry Cookies Recipe
Delight in these classic Almond Cherry Cookies featuring a tender buttery base studded with sweet maraschino cherries and topped with a smooth almond-flavored frosting. Perfectly soft and slightly crumbly, these cookies are finished with a festive touch of red decorating sugar, making them ideal for holiday gatherings or any sweet occasion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 29 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies:
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds, ground
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces jar maraschino cherries, halved (reserve 1 teaspoon juice)
- Red decorating sugar
Frosting:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Prepare Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and ground slivered almonds. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated, forming the cookie dough.
- Form Cookies: Take a tablespoon of dough and create a small indentation in the center. Place half of a maraschino cherry into the pit, then carefully fold the dough around the cherry to form a ball. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten them slightly to shape.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn a light golden brown. Remove the baking sheet and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, reserved maraschino cherry juice, and almond extract until combined. Slowly add milk one tablespoon at a time, stirring until the frosting reaches a consistency suitable for dipping the cookie tops.
- Decorate Cookies: Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the frosting allowing excess to drip off, then place them back on the wire rack. Sprinkle the frosted tops with red decorating sugar for a festive finish. Let the frosting set completely before serving.
Notes
- To grind slivered almonds, pulse them briefly in a food processor to avoid making almond butter.
- If cherry juice is insufficient, substitute with a teaspoon of water and add additional cherry extract if available for flavor.
- Make sure cookies are completely cool before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- These cookies freeze well; freeze unfrosted cookies and frost after thawing for best results.
Keywords: Almond Cherry Cookies, cherry cookies, almond cookies, holiday cookies, frosted cookies, maraschino cherries, sweet cookies
Find it online: https://nayabaker.com/almond-cherry-cookies-recipe/
