XXX Cherry + Chocolate Cookies

I'm visiting Mumma this weekend and knew that she was going to put the Oatmeal Cookie Guy to work as soon as I came home. That's not a problem at all, especially because I knew I'd be rewarded with some BR's pizza. But Mumma's not a baker, so any cookie making would require picking up some basic ingredients--like flour, salt, and butter--at the grocery store. Oh, yeah, and doing the mixing without my trusty Kitchen Aid stand mixer!

I have to give Mumma full credit for this recipe because it was her idea to make a cherry cookie. But cherry and what else? We emptied her cabinets to see what concoction we could make. Aha! To my surprise, Mumma had some fancy-dancy semi-sweet/white chocolate swirled chips. I had never used these guys before, and--quite frankly--I was surprised to find these in non-baking Mumma's cupboard. But upon closer inspection, we decided to pick up a fresh bag at the store.

So there we had it: a cherry and chocolate cookie. Then I got to work putting together the recipe. Why not do a "XXX" cookie that uses three forms of fruit: cooked, fresh, and dried? And what kind of spices would we use? Cinnamon didn't seem right. Then I saw the perfect flavoring: cherry-vanilla tea bags. Mumma had only two left, but they would do the trick.

These cookies turn out moist, chewy, and--best of all--packed with fruit flavor. The chocolate adds that little bit of sweetness and richness to balance the sweet/tart cherries. (I'm going to use dark chocolate chips next time...Mumma's grocery store didn't have any.)

This recipe is eggless, so it's perfect for anybody who has an egg allergy.

Makes 3 dozen cookies. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing XXX Cherry + Chocolate Cookies.)

Creamables	1 stick butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 2 cherry-vanilla tea bags
Wet Ingredients	1 cup pitted, halved cherries  1/4 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Dry Ingredients	3 cups oatmeal 3/4 cup flour 1 cup pitted, roughly chopped cherries 1 cup dried cherries 1 cup chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a small saucepan, heat cherries, milk, lemon juice, and white sugar over medium high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, crushing the cherries until the the mixture is smooth and evenly red.
2. Remove cherry mixture from the heat and set aside to cool until Step 5.
3. Preheat oven to 350º.
4. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
5. Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
6. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
8. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
9. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
10. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Comments

[sara]

Hi! These look REALLY yummy, and totally perfect given that it's cherry season, but I think the 1st line of the directions is off. It doesn't seem like there are strawberries in the cookies, right (or lemon zest)? Thanks! :-D

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hey, Sara. I copy and pasted that direction line from another one of my XXX recipes and forgot to change those cherry-specific bits. Thanks for the eagle eye! I just fixed it. :-)

[stripeydots]

I love the intense cherry flavor in these cookies. Another delightful recipe, Greg!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Thanks, Amelia. So glad you and your son like 'em. Your pics look great, and I *love* the title of your post. :-)