Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle

Oh the sweet pinkness of these cookies. Tender sweet, bite-sized mouthfuls of cherries and almond. A shortbread cookie that presents itself in a little pink mound with white chocolate icing.

Cherry Almond Shortbreads with White Chocolate Drizzle

I love how these are shortbread cookie without being dry and flat. Even with the two main ingredients being flour and butter, the sweetness of the cherry juice and the diced maraschino cherries give these cookies the jewel like quality and color.

Cherry Almond Shortbreads

While a pink cookie for me is more decorative and makes the cookie platter so much prettier…I am also impressed with the flavor. A cookie has to bring more to the table than a pretty face.

I also wondered about the white chocolate drizzle. I mean, does a cookie that is pink and filled with cherry bits and almond extract really need an additional white chocolate drizzle? The answer is yes. Yes it does.

Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies

I think the thing about different cookies is that each one really should top the last. Nobody wants a dry or boring cookie. If you are going to put it in your mouth, it should be worth the caloric trade off. And if it is a sweet, especially if it is a sweet, it should definitely be worth it. So, while these little darlings were good without the drizzle, the tiny bit of white chocolate was just what they needed to be front and center.

This cookie is fairly simple in that the hard parts are chopping the cherries, and waiting for the dough to chill.

For this recipe you make and chill the shortbread dough.  Then, when thoroughly chilled, you form small round scoops or roll into balls. Personally, I use a cookie dough scoop, then roll them to make them smooth. These baked up at 325* in about 10-12 minutes. I took the first batch out at ten, and liked the extra minute or two – I don’t like a browned bottom cookie at all- so watch your oven and don’t wander too far while baking.

When you remove them from the oven, they are perfect little pink mounds. They are not fluffy or cloud like- they are a denser cookie- as they are actually a shortbread. But the almond and cherry add a really nice flavor that works with the size and color of these little cookies. I wish my daughter were younger and we still played tea party. This would be the cookie I would serve, for sure.

When the cookies are cool, the white chocolate drizzle is just enough to finish them off. If you are freezing these cookies, hold off on the white chocolate drizzle until ready to serve.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.

Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle

Print Recipe

Delicious pink shortbread cookies that pack a cherry and almond punch. Original recipe from www.sallysbakingaddiction.com

• Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter
• 2/3 Cup Granulated White Sugar
• 1 ½ Teaspoon Almond Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Maraschino Cherry Juice
• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 20 Maraschino Cherries, drained chopped
• 4 Ounces White Chocolate

Instructions

1. Using a mixer, beat the butter at a high speed until light an fluffy.
2. Add to medium speed, and add sugar, and almond extract.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and drizzle in cherry juice.
4. Turn off mixer and incorporate dry ingredients. A soft dough will form.
5. Add chopped cherries and mix until they are distributed throughout the dough.
6. Wrap dough in saran wrap or wax paper and refrigerate.
7. Preheat oven to 325*
8. Scoop and shape dough into balls.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes on parchment lined baking sheets.
10. Cool cookies on wire rack.
11. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over cookies.