I know it’s hard to tell by the picture, but these cookies are very pink! How perfect for a baby shower, bridal shower or just someone who loves pink in general. I can’t even tell you how delicious they are either. In fact, my oldest teenage son (who loves to critique my cooking) took one bite and said, “how did you do this.” Do what….”make them taste like a cherry and have the perfect texture…crisp edge and soft inside.” Of course my answer was that I’m magic. Ha…it’s true.
Anyway, there are secrets to making the perfect cookie, not so much in technique, but in equipment. If you are at all interested in making gift-worthy looking cookies, then it does require a small investment. After baking cookies for the past 25 years, I have finally nailed down what it takes. Ultimately your cookies taste better too because they are baked to perfection.
I know there are many of who who have been visiting here and cooking along with me for the past seven years. And many of you have jumped on my bandwagon of using a whoopie pie pan for baking cookies. For those of you who haven’t, I just can’t tell you enough how nice they are for baking the perfect cookie…in looks, taste and texture. In fact this particular recipe does not do well on a cookie sheet as the batter spreads out and goes flat. Make sure you get 2-3 of them otherwise you will need to wash and cool them in between baking…never place a cookie batter on a hot pan.
The other MUST for your kitchen, and not just for cookies is a scale. I don’t know how anyone lives without a kitchen scale that measures in pounds, ounces and grams. Your baked goods turn out better and are even in shape and size. You also never need to wonder if that letter your mailing needs an extra stamp…because now you weigh it. This is my favorite kitchen scale, and I’ve had many! I weigh every one of my cookie balls, I weigh my flour…I’m telling you, you will never regret this purchase. Invest in your baking today!!
After weighing each of my cookie balls, I place them in the whoopie pie tin cavaties. The dough for this cookies is very sticky.
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I then stud each cookie with an additional 6-7 chocolate chips.
As you can see they bake perfectly round and thick.
Oh my gosh I love these cookies so much….you will too.
Soft Baked Maraschino Cherry-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 6 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 36 maraschino cherries, destemmed and chopped
- 2 cups chocolate chips, plus press to press on top
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare whoopie pie pans by spraying with cooking spray.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together shortening, butter and granulated sugar. Add egg, maraschino cherry juice and vanilla, continue to mix until combined. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add it slowly to the mixing bowl on low speed, mixing until just combined. Stir in chopped cherries and chocolate chips.
- To make the perfect cookie, roll dough into balls weighing 36 grams each (about 1-1/2" in size) and place one in each well of the prepared whoopie pie pan. Press on extra chocolate chips to the outside of the cookie balls, about 6-7 per cookie.
- Bake cookies for 14 minutes, remove from the oven and let them sit 2 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.
Cooking Notes:
- Using a scale to weigh each cookie ball, ensures even cooking for all cookies as well as their size. Using a whoopie pie pan ensures the shape of the cookie. This is a very soft batter that will spread very flat on a regular baking sheet. You could refrigerate the cookie balls before baking but they will still not keep shape as the cookies you see here.
- Even though it's hard to see in pictures, the cookies are very pink.
- These cookies freeze well.
Other Cookie Recipes Featuring Maraschino Cherries:
- Cherry Chocolate Nut Cookies ~ Taste and Tell
- Chocolate and Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies ~ Closet Cooking
- Maraschino Cherry White Chocolate Cookies ~ Averie Cooks
- Cherry Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ My Baking Addiction
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Marye says
Cathy … these look so good! I haven’t used the whoopie pie pans but it looks like I’ll need to go buy some.
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
I love using a whoopie pie pan for cookies! These are so pretty with the cherries and chocolate chips…and I love that they are pink!!!!
Lexi @ Lexi's Clean Kitchen says
These are brilliant!
Tanya Schroeder says
Kathy, you are a genius! I forget to use my darn whoopie pie pan! These looks terrific, I sure wish I could sample one right about now!
Tanya Schroeder says
Dang it, Cathy with a “C” not a “K”, sorry!!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
These cookies look so incredibly delicious. I need to make them for my family soon!
Kimberly says
I don’t have shortening and won’t be able to make it to the store any time soon. What should I substitute it with?
Thanks!
Cathy says
The shortening is what makes the cookie “soft baked”. Hopefully you’ll get to the story soon.
Judye Heimerl says
What kind of scale is that? Brand name??
Cathy says
There is a link to the scale in the post.
Judye Heimerl says
Would you suggest using that pan for regular chocolate chip cookies?
Cathy says
Yes, any cookie.
Judy says
made these today they are delicious! I used a regular cookie sheet instead of whopper pie pan because I didn’t have one, and they came out beautiful! Thank you for this awesome recipe!