Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Each of these cocoa cookies hides a whole maraschino cherry at its center. The dough wraps around the cherry completely, sealing it inside so it softens and gets warm and jammy during baking. Bite in and you get that burst of sweet cherry against the rich chocolate shell.

The dough uses cocoa powder and brown sugar for deep, molasses-tinged chocolate flavor. Shortening instead of butter makes these cookies softer and more tender, with less spread during baking. That matters here because the dough needs to hold its shape around each cherry.

Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture at low speed and stop as soon as it’s blended. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cookies tough rather than soft.

The melted chocolate drizzle on top adds a professional-looking finish. Melting the chips in a resealable bag is clever. You melt, knead, snip a corner, and pipe in one container with zero cleanup.

Kitchen Tips

• Pat the maraschino cherries dry before wrapping. Wet cherries create steam pockets that can crack the cookies.
• Cover each cherry completely with dough and seal well. Exposed spots will leak sticky cherry juice onto the baking sheet.
• Bake one sheet at a time for even heat distribution. Crowding the oven causes uneven baking.
• Do NOT overbake. Pull at 7-9 minutes when the surface looks set. These should be soft, not crisp.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips for the drizzle instead of semi-sweet for a visual contrast against the dark cookie.
• Stuff with a chocolate-covered cherry candy instead of a plain maraschino for an extra indulgent version.
• Add a teaspoon of almond extract to the dough for a chocolate-cherry-almond flavor combination.