Description
Delight in these luscious Chocolate Cherry Cookies featuring a perfect balance of rich cocoa, buttery dough, and a decadent cherry-chocolate ganache center. These cookies combine the deep flavor of Dutch-process cocoa with sweet cherry preserves and dark chocolate, delivering a sophisticated yet comforting treat ideal for gatherings or special indulgences.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 188 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 40 g Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 168 g unsalted butter, softened
- 165 g light brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 140 g dark chocolate with cherry pieces, finely chopped
- 90 ml heavy cream
- 85 g cherry preserves
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt until thoroughly blended, ensuring an even distribution of flavors.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the softened unsalted butter with light brown sugar and granulated white sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale, which typically takes several minutes.
- Incorporate Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Add the room-temperature egg yolks and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and pale, about 1 to 2 minutes, ensuring full incorporation.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Blend gently until just combined to avoid overmixing and developing gluten, which could lead to tough cookies.
- Shape and Indent Dough: Use a tablespoon-sized scoop to portion the dough into 32 equal portions. Roll each portion into a smooth ball, then press an indent into the center of each ball using a 1/4 teaspoon, creating the space for the filling.
- Chill Dough: Arrange the dough balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up, which helps maintain the shape during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Fifteen minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 175°C (about 350°F) and line baking trays with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Bake Cookies: Place 8 cookies on each prepared baking sheet, making sure to space them to allow for spreading. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the cookies are set but still soft in the center. Remove from the oven immediately and press the centers again to reinforce the indentations.
- Shape and Cool Cookies: Optionally, while hot, use a round biscuit cutter to perfect the cookie shapes by encircling each cookie. Cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Ganache: Place the finely chopped dark chocolate with cherry pieces in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream just below boiling point. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 1 minute, then stir gently until the ganache is smooth and glossy.
- Finish Ganache: Stir the cherry preserves into the ganache thoroughly to fully combine the flavors and create a luscious filling.
- Fill Cookies with Ganache: Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cherry-chocolate ganache into the indentation of each cooled cookie. Add more ganache if the indentation allows, filling generously.
- Set Ganache: Refrigerate the filled cookies for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the ganache to firm up, ensuring a stable and creamy center.
- Storage: Store the fully cooled and filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days to maintain freshness and texture.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened at room temperature for easier creaming and better texture in the dough.
- Do not overmix dough to keep cookies tender and prevent toughness.
- Chilling the dough is essential to help cookies maintain their shape during baking and deepen the flavors.
- The indentations must be pressed again immediately after baking to retain the shape for the ganache filling.
- The cherry preserves add a delightful tart contrast to the rich chocolate, feel free to use preserves with more cherry pieces for added texture.
- Cookies are best consumed within three days for optimal freshness.
