Cherry Blossom Cookies

Why You’ll Love These Cherry Cookies

• Fruity and sweet. These chocolate cherry blossoms are full of chopped maraschino cherries and cherry juice, plus a touch of almond extract. If you’ve never paired those two flavors before, you’re missing out. They are the sweetest (pun intended) combination! And, when you add a chocolate kiss on top, these cookies somehow taste even better.
• Soft and chewy. Many versions of this cookie don’t use any egg, but this one uses an egg yolk. It adds extra moisture and chewiness, plus it binds everything together a little more. Between the egg yolk and the fruit, these cookies stay moist and fresh, and get better on day 2 and 3 since the moisture and flavors set in even more.
• Automatic crowd-pleasers. These cherry blossom cookies are so festive and pretty. With a chocolate kiss in the center, they have a slightly fancy look with little effort! They’re also made in about an hour (plus some cooling time for the chocolate to firm up), making them easy and perfect for sharing and gifting!

What You’ll Need

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make cherry blossom cookies along with my notes. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a printable list.

• Butter – Unsalted butter is used. Be sure it’s at room temperature so that your ingredients combine properly.
• Powdered sugar – This is also called confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, and it contributes to the cookie’s tender texture.
• Egg yolk – To bind the ingredients together and give you a chewier cookie.
• Salt – Skip it if you’re using salted butter. But, be sure to add salt somewhere, since it adds to and amplifies the sweet flavors in your cookies.
• Maraschino cherry juice – Please don’t skip this, it’s the whole reason these are “cherry” kiss cookies.
• Almond extract – Feel free to substitute it for additional vanilla extract.
• Vanilla extract
• Red food coloring – Pink food coloring works too. I used regular food coloring, but gel icing color would also work.
• All-purpose flour
• Maraschino cherries – Chopped.
• Kisses – I used Hershey’s kisses.

How to Make Cherry Blossom Cookies

Here’s a quick look at how to make these gorgeous cookies. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.

• Prepare the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter. In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar using a stand mixer over medium speed. Beat them until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolk.
• Add the food coloring. Incorporate the salt, extracts, and cherry juice. Continue beating until well combined. The mixture should be completely pink.

• Fold in the cherries. Add the flour and mix until a loose dough comes together. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure you’re combining all of the ingredients. Use a wooden spatula to gently fold in the chopped cherries.
• Roll the dough. Use measuring spoons to scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough at a time. Use your hands to gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for all the dough. Place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2″ of space between them.
• Bake. Pop the cookies into the oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and bottom. Remove them from the oven. Carefully press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cherry blossom cookie. Set them aside to cool.

Tips for Success

• Measure your ingredients properly. I have a whole post on measuring dry ingredients. I always recommend a food scale, but without one, the tips in that post are really helpful.
• Don’t over-mix. Once you add the flour, make sure not to over-mix the dough otherwise your cherry kiss cookies will turn out tough and rubbery.
• Don’t over-bake. They’re done when they are just starting to brown on the edges. Ovens can vary a bit, so you may need to adjust a minute here or there, but keep in mind that even once out of the oven, they’ll finish baking with their residual heat.
• Let them cool. Allow the baked cookies to rest in the baking tray for at least 10 minutes before removing them. This way you’ll help prevent them from crumbling. You also want to give the kisses time to cool completely. They’ll soften from the heat of the cookies after you add them.

Proper Storage

• Room temperature. These cherry blossom cookies should be stored in an airtight container, away from the heat, for up to 5 days.
• Fridge. If you refrigerate them they can last up to a week, just make sure to keep them away from onions and other foods with strong odors. Leave them at room temperature before eating them so they can soften up a bit.
• Freezing unbaked cookies. If you’d rather make the dough in advance but bake the cookies later, you can freeze the balls of dough for 30 minutes, and then place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, arrange them on the baking sheet and let them thaw for 15 minutes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on the oven.
• Freezing baked cookies. Flash freeze them for about an hour, then layer them with parchment paper in an airtight container, or add them to a freezer bag. They should freeze well for up to 3 months.

More Easy Cookie Recipes

• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Lemon Sugar Cookies