Frosted Amish Cherry Sugar Cookies are crispy around the edges yet pillowy soft and chewy inside. They get their pink color, great flavor, and soft texture from maraschino cherries.
If you’re familiar with the Shirley Temple drink, these cookies taste like that!! Plus, they will melt in your mouth!
Every December I share several cookie recipes with you. When I was looking for inspiration this year I chose these Cherry Sugar Cookies because my youngest son loves maraschino cherries! I was correct in my guess, he loves them. What surprised me is that I LOVE THEM!!!
They have just the right amount of cherry flavor (and aren’t they a beautiful color?). As well, I like the texture of the cherries in the cookies. The cherries aren’t as hard as raisins or dried cranberries, they’re soft yet chewy.
Additionally, that beautiful pink color is all from the cherries so there’s no additional food coloring. (Although, I’m sure those cherries are naturally that red!)
ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
- Butter – For a chewy cookie you want to use melted butter. For cakey cookies, you use softened (room temperature) butter. You can use either in this recipe, but I prefer using melted butter. However, you need to use real butter, not margarine. You can use either salted or unsalted. I used salted.
- Flour – You need to use all-purpose flour for these cookies, sifted then measured correctly.
- Cherries – Maraschino cherries are also called cocktail cherries. They’re bright red, come either with or without stems, and they are in a liquid (like these). They are not candied cherries (without liquid). For cocktails the stems are nice, but we don’t need stems for cookies so purchase without if you can find them. In the store, maraschino cherries are typically located with the cocktail mixers. They may also be on the baking aisle by the pie fillings, chocolate chips, and nuts.
- Flavorings – I prefer pure almond extract for these cookies. Almond pairs wonderfully with cherries. You can also use cherry extract, but I have a hard time finding it. If you don’t have almond (or cherry) you can use pure vanilla extract.
- Cream of tartar – Basically, this ingredient keeps cookies soft. (Technically, the scientific explanation, cream of tartar prevents sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing into crunchiness.) You can find it here or with the baking ingredients and spices in the store.
HOW TO MAKE FROSTED AMISH CHERRY SUGAR COOKIES
Cherry Sugar Cookies are simple to throw together and almost foolproof.
- Drain the cherries and reserve the liquid. Mince the cherries and pat them dry with paper towels. They need to be very dry.
- In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, beat the melted butter and sugars until creamy.
- Add the egg and extract.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- Now, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Don’t overbeat it or the cookies will be tough.
- Now add the minced cherries until just combined.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour. This is an important step. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much while baking.
- After the dough has chilled, heat your oven to 350°F.
- Use a spring release scoop to get a consistent size cookie. My spring release scoop holds 1 tablespoon of dough.
- Place a silicone baking mat on a sheet pan and place your cookie dough on it. Press the cookie with your palm or the bottom of a glass to about 1/2-inch thick.
- For 1 tablespoon of dough, I baked the cookies for 12 minutes. Watch the cookies carefully, you want to look for the edges get slightly brown and the center of the cookie will turn from shiny to matte and be ‘set’.
HOW LONG WILL CHERRY SUGAR COOKIES LAST?
If you don’t frost your cookies, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days. You can keep them longer but they won’t be as soft.
Frosted cookies will need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will stay fresh for 7 days.
As well, you can freeze the cookie dough for two months.
TOOLS USED FOR MAKING COOKIE RECIPE:
MORE HOLIDAY COOKIES
- Mississippi Mud Cookies with Marshmallow Fluff and Chocolate Frosting
- Loaded Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
- Blue Ribbon Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies
- Ranger Cookies with Chex
- Soft Batch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
- Soft Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
- Pretzel Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Copycat PayDay Bars
- Dark Chocolate Brown Sugar Cookies
- Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles
- Original Quaker Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary based on the products used.
FROSTED AMISH CHERRY SUGAR COOKIES
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 12 ounces maraschino cherries drained (reserve juice), minced, and squeezed dry
- 1 cup butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour sifted then measure
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
FROSTING
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 - 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 and ½ to 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Drain the maraschino cherries, reserve the juice. Mince the cherries then pat them dry with a paper towel.
- In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, beat the melted butter and sugars until creamy.
- Add the egg and almond extract and blend.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Then, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
- Next, add the minced cherries until just combined.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour.
- After the dough has chilled, heat your oven to 350°F.
- Use a spring release scoop to get a consistent size cookie. My spring release scoop holds 1 tablespoon of dough. Place a silicone baking mat on a sheet pan and place your cookie dough on it. Press the cookie with your palm or the bottom of a glass to about 1/2-inch thick.
- For 1 tablespoon of dough, I baked the cookies for 12 minutes. Watch the cookies carefully, you want to look for the edges get slightly brown and the center of the cookie will turn from shiny to matte and be 'set'.
- When the cookies are done, remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet. Then, remove them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the cookies completely before frosting.
FROSTING
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of the sifted powdered sugar, the cherry juice, and extract and mix until creamy.
- Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Frost cookies and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
You can find more recipes at my Recipe Index and at Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck.
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