At Trader Joe's the other day, I picked up a container of Dark Chocolate Covered Dried Cherries on my way to the checkout. Unlike chocolate-covered raisins, each piece was huge and there was clearly a high chocolate-to-cherry ratio. Chocolate and cherries are a great combination as it is, but Trader Joe's tends to carry some high-quality brands (under their store name), so I didn't hesitate to put them in my cart. My immediate thought was that they would be good in a cookie, so I baked up a batch to share with some friends. I used one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes, which turns out cookies that are just sweet and buttery enough to be dangerously addictive, with a slightly chewy center and crispy edges. The cherries added some extra chew to the basic recipe and the chocolate brought it all together.
Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup quick cooking rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups (about 10-oz) dark chocolate-covered cherries
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly grease it).
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light, then beat in vanilla extract and egg. Gradually add in the flour mixture, stirring until no streaks of flour remain. Add in chocolate-covered cherries and stir to ensure even distribution.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake at 350F for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges. Let stand on baking sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
Makes about 3 1/2-dozen cookies.
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