Shelly's Recipe

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY DROP COOKIES

Category: Cookies

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup finely chopped chocolate chunks or miniature chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cherries, plus another 30 reserved
11-ounce bag white chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine butter and both sugars. Use electric mixer to beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add egg and vanilla, mixing to fully incorporate. Gradually add the dry ingredients, then mix in the chocolate chips and cherries.

Arrange balls of dough, about 1 tablespoon in size, on prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake cookies, rotating sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until spread and set, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Set out sheets of parchment or waxed paper.

Once cookies are cool, in a microwave-safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips on high in 15-second bursts, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. One at a time, dunk half of each cookie into melted white chocolate, then set on parchment paper. Place 1 of the reserved cherries on top of the white chocolate on each cookie. Refrigerate to set.

Cookies can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Note: Nuts or golden raisins may be substituted for the dried cherries.

Makes 30 cookies.