Chocolate-Dipped Cherry Cookies
Submitted by ginger
Cherry cake mix cookies dipped in semi-sweet chocolate and sprinkled with toasted almonds. A clever shortcut treat that looks bakery-fancy with under 10 minutes of hands-on work.
YIELD
24 cookiesPREP
10 minCOOK
13 minREADY
2 hrsCake-mix cookie hacks earn their keep on busy weekends, and this one is a stunner. A box of cherry cake mix becomes the base for chewy pink cookies studded with chopped almonds, then half-dipped in glossy semi-sweet chocolate and finished with a sprinkle of nuts so they look like they came out of a French bakery window.
The dough comes out drier than a typical cookie dough, and that’s intentional. Less moisture means the cookies hold their domed shape instead of spreading flat. A small cookie scoop is the move here. Press them lightly with your palm only if you want flatter rounds.
A touch of oil thinned into the melted chocolate keeps the dip glossy and snappy when it sets, instead of dull and chalky.
Pro Tips
- Toast the chopped almonds in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes before mixing in. Raw almonds taste flat against the chocolate and cherry.
- Use a small stainless cookie scoop for uniform sizing. Even cookies bake evenly and look professional.
- Cool cookies completely before dipping. Warm cookies melt the chocolate coat and turn it into a streaky mess.
- Microwave the chocolate in 30-second bursts and stir between each one. Walking away even once means scorched chocolate.
- Set dipped cookies on parchment, never bare wax paper or the dish. The chocolate will pull right off.
Variations
- Swap cherry cake mix for strawberry, lemon, or chocolate for completely different cookie personalities.
- Use white chocolate for the dip and dust with crushed freeze-dried raspberries for a colorful contrast.
- Roll the warm dipped edges in coarse sugar or sprinkles instead of almonds for a kid-friendly version.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Finely chop almonds with food chopper.
Reserve about 2 tablespoons almonds for garnish.
Combine remaining almonds, cake mix, egg, oil and water in mixing bowl.
Mix thoroughly.
(Mixture will be dry) With small stainless steel scoop, drop dough 2 inches apart onto 13 inch baking stone.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
Cool 2 minutes on stone; remove to non-stick cooling rack.
Cool completely. Place chocolate chips and oil in covered micro-cooker. Microwave on high 2 to 2½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate; shake to remove excess. Sprinkle with reserved almonds. Place on parchment paper. Allow to cool and harden.
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