Chocolate Dipped Cherry Shortbread
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A twist on classic shortbread featuring maraschino cherries and white chocolate inside and dipped in white or dark chocolate.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 50 cookies
Ingredients
  • ⅔ to ¾ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries (from 10-12 ounce jar)*
  • ¾ cup finely chopped Private Selection White Chocolate Chips*
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) Kroger salted butter, cut into diced-pieces
  • ¾ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2-3 drops red food coloring (optional)
  • 2-3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice (from jar of cherries)
  • Granulated sugar (for flattening before baking)
  • For Dipping:
  • At least 8 to 12 ounces white chocolate chips or chopped bars, melted
  • At least 8 to 12 ounces Private Selection Semisweet Chocolate Chips, melted
Instructions
  1. Drain whole maraschino cherries, reserving all cherry juice, then pat dry. Finely chop, then measure the amount you need. Pat dry those chopped pieces a little more, too. Measure white chocolate after chopping as well.
  2. Heat oven to 325⁰F. In a large metal or glass bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. Add diced butter and cut it in with a pastry blender until it is thoroughly incorporated and looks like fine crumbs. (Pieces should be way smaller than pea-size). With a fork, stir in chopped cherries, chopped white chocolate, almond extract and food coloring. Mixture will be very, very dry, and you’ll just mix with fork until cherries and chocolate pieces are fairly mixed around. Then, knead with your hands in bowl, gathering up all the crumbs and working dough to form a ball. It will become much more pliable, and not dry any longer.
  3. Using a #60 scoop (2 teaspoon size leveled), place balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Dip a drinking glass bottom into sugar, and flatten each ball to 1 ½ inch discs. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until cookies appear “set” and the bottoms are the faintest shade of brown. Cool on baking sheet just a minute, then remove to wire cooling racks. They will harden slightly as they cool. Once cooled, dip one-half of cookie in melted chocolate, white or semisweet. Place dipped cookies on wire cooling racks until the chocolate (sets) hardens thoroughly. Pack in airtight containers between layers of parchment paper or waxed paper.
Recipe by at https://kimgaleaz.com/2020/12/perfect-pairs-holiday-cookies-and-seasonal-songs/