The perfect cookies for company, cookie boxes, and the freezer!

Butter cookies with cherries and chocolate

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These decorated butter cookies with cherries are the most beautiful ones you’ve seen. I used this recipe to make Italian butter cookies around Christmas time a few years ago, and recently I made them to put in cookie boxes for gifts. They were a little smaller with maraschino cherries, and I dipped them in chocolate. When I posted pictures on my Instagram stories, everyone wanted the recipe. So, here it is! It makes a big batch of about 65-70 individual cookies, and I can’t wait for you to try them.

Why these cookies will be everyone’s favorite

Crisp, buttery cookie

Sweet juicy cherry

Rich semi-sweet chocolate

Smooth white chocolate

Crunchy almonds

Colorful sprinkles

The perfect buttery cookie for dipping or sandwiching and eating or gifting!

Everything you need

For the Cookies:

Unsalted butter -softened
Granulated sugar
Eggs at room temperature
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Pure vanilla extract
Salt

Toppings/Fillings:

Semi-sweet chocolate -or your favorite chocolate melted
White chocolate -melted
Pitted maraschino cherries -drained and dried
Sprinkles
Sliced almonds
Apricot or raspberry jam
Sweetened coconut

How to make Decorated Butter Cookies with Cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Line 3 baking trays with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
In the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Beat together on high speed until fluffy -about 3-5 minutes.
Add the eggs and beat until incorporated.
Then, add the flour mixture in a few batches and beat on low speed until incorporated.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with an open star decorating tip halfway with the cookie batter.
Pipe swirls or stars of batter on the prepared baking pans, leaving some room between each cookie as they will rise. (See video)
Drain the Maraschino cherries, dry them with a paper towel, and place a cherry in the center of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.
Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Dip the cookies 1/3 of the way in chocolate and then into sprinkles, almonds, or shredded coconut.
Set them aside to set.
Alternatively, place the trays in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden the chocolate.

Baker’s tips!

Keep in mind that as soon as you make the batter, you’ll want to pipe the cookies. As the batter sits, it stiffens and becomes harder to pipe out of the bag. The tighter you keep the bag, the easier it is, and if you happen to have a cookie press lying around, this is the perfect time to use it. You can make differently shaped cookies to decorate. If you don’t care for cherries, use jam or jelly in the center or leave them plain.

To dip or to fill

I like to have melted white and dark chocolate ready to dunk these cookies in and a variety of toppings. I use sprinkles and sliced almonds, but sweetened coconut would be good too. These cookies also work well sandwiched! You can fill them with chocolate or jam and sandwich them together. Apricot and raspberry jam are the most popular fillings, but I love filling them with semi-sweet chocolate.

Serve or freeze!

Few things are better than one of these butter cookies with a hot cup of Greek coffee. So, eat one immediately and store the rest in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two. If you’re making them for gifts, fill a box with as many cookies as possible and tie the box with a beautiful ribbon. If you’re making them so you can always have them on hand, store the decorated cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month! Kali Orexi!

More Cookie Recipes:

Decorated Butter Cookies with Cherries

Yield: 65-70 single cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

12 oz (340g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Toppings/Fillings:

semi sweet chocolate, melted
white chocolate, melted
pitted maraschino cherries
sprinkles
sliced almonds
apricot or raspberry jam
sweetened coconut

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.

Line 3 baking trays with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together.

In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat together on high speed until fluffy. 3-5 minutes.

Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in a few batches and beat on low speed until incorporated.

Fill a pastry bag that has been fitted with an open star decorating tip halfway with the cookie batter.

Pipe swirls or stars of batter on the prepared baking pans. Leave some room between each cookie as they will rise. (see video)

Drain the Maraschino cherries and place a cherry in the center of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.

Allow the cookies to cool completely.

Dip the cookies 1/3 of the way in chocolate and then in sprinkles, almonds, or shredded coconut. The cookies can also be filled with chocolate or jam and sandwiched together.

Set them aside to set. Alternatively place the trays in the freezer for 15 minutes so that the chocolate can harden.

Serve with coffee. Kali Orexi!

Notes

The prepared cookies can be stored in airtight containers in teh freezer up to a month. They can also be stored at room temperature for a week or two.

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Decorated Butter Cookies with Cherries

Watch the video: