Opera Singer in the Kitchen: Chocolate Cherry Kiss Cookies

This weekend I baked a lot for different occasions. We have been having different engagements and so the opportunity to bake has been available. Let me just say that I have been inspired. I probably should not have been on my feet that long but I had so much energy.

Julianne has been having so much fun walking around the house and discovering new places to explore. We are working on putting safety locks or certain drawers but she has been great in obeying. At one point she started fussing because she wanted to be near me. How did we solve it?

I do not like putting her in the high chair cause she thinks she will get a snack or food even though I give her toys. I placed her in her red wagon she got for Christmas and put in some toys, her sippy cup, crayons and a coloring book and rolled the wagon in the kitchen. She LOVED it.

She could see all the action and be a part of the baking too! It is amazing to challenge oneself as a parent to be creative with their children. I was able to turn on the oven light and have her see what was baking. She was intrigued. How easy is it to get your child involved? Seems very easy.

What about these cookies? The original recipe was pinned on my Valentine's Day board on Pinterest because the recipe was beautiful. I found that it was from The Curvy Carrot and they had been posted last year.

I knew I had to modify and adapt the recipe because I do not like eating or using maraschino cherries. Red 40 makes my ears flush and react. Obviously the unnatural food coloring is not healthy. I tried using my natural red food from Indian Tree, but the red coloring had turned brown. Boo. I decided to go with pomegranate juice which made the cookies a light rose color but nothing like the original recipe. Either way, I was going through with the recipe.

I subbed the maraschino cherries for dried sour dried cherries but I know I would use sweetened dried cherries too. I knew this cookie would be more like a shortbread cookie and not that sweet so I rolled the cookie dough in sugar and then baked them. YUM!

These are husband approved. I sent half of the cookies to a new neighbor with their 3 cookies and we kept the other half of the batch. Ryan said these were one of the best cookies he had tasted. The cookie STILL tasted like a shortbread cookie but they were perfectly sweetened with the dark chocolate kiss combo and the rolled sugar on the cookie. Score!

These are a must make for your Valentine. I am baking early and gifting friends and neighbors cause I do not know if I am having this baby during that week. Why not celebrate early?

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Kiss Cookies

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Ingredients (36 cookies)

1 cup unsalted butter or Earth Balance margarine, softened, but still cool
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon pomegranate or strawberry juice OR 1 tsp natural red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour or sweetened dried cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies
36 dark chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In the bowl beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.

Add the fruit juice or natural food coloring and the almond extract until combined.

Slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the cherries and shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the granulated sugar and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.

Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.