Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread (Printable version)

Buttery, tender shortbread studded with sweet red cherries for holiday celebrations.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 to maintain tender texture.
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 to desired thickness.
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 Suggestions:

01 -
  • The almond and vanilla combo creates this cozy warmth that makes your whole kitchen smell like a European bakery during the holidays
  • These cookies somehow manage to taste both elegant and incredibly comforting, like something your grandmother would have perfected over decades
02 -
  • The dough gets quite soft as you work with it because of the butter, so I sometimes pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes if it is getting hard to handle
  • These look completely done before they actually are, and I once took them out too early and ended up with raw centers that I had to bake again
03 -
  • If your kitchen is particularly warm, chill the shaped dough for 10 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape better
  • The bottoms should be just barely golden when you take them out, and any darker means they will be crisper rather than that perfect tender shortbread texture

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