3 O'clock Cherry Cookies
My husband is a spoiled man. Not in the sense that he is a brat of any sort. But he pretty much gets whatever he asks for when it comes to my baking and cooking. And truthfully, he is a kind, loving man, who doesn’t ever demand. He’s the type of man who gives generously, and it is this quality that encourages me to reciprocate whenever I can. So when he asked me to bake him some cherry cookies, naturally I obliged.
These cherry cookies are a treat, and make a delicious afternoon snack, right around 3pm. That is when my husband, Don, takes his afternoon break. They are big, and soft and chewy, and he loves them
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups dried tart cherries
1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
Heat oven to 375 F. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
In a sauté pan, toast the almonds over medium heat until you begin to see them take some color. Remove from heat, and pan to a small dish.
In the bowl of your standing mixer, beat the butter, sugars, sour cream and almond extract, until smooth.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, and add to the butter mixture, mixing just to combine. Add the cherries and almonds and stir to distribute them throughout the dough.
Drop dough in 2 ounce portions onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.. I use an ice cream scoop for this. Bake until cookies are just lightly golden, about 15-16 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a metal wire to cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container. Makes 18 BIG cookies.
Try putting other dried fruits, like apricots, cranberries or raisins. The chewy texture of the fruit is a wonderful compliment to this “cake like” cookie. Coconut, and nuts would also be very appealing in these cookies. Be sure and let me know when you make them, how they turned out and what variations you’ve tried.