Description
White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies are soft, chewy, and full of sweet cherry flavor and creamy white chocolate. These festive cookies are perfect for Christmas trays, cookie exchanges, or anytime you crave a buttery treat with a pop of color and flavor. Easy to make and fun to decorate, they’ll quickly become a holiday favorite!
Ingredients
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped (reserve cherry liquid)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (divided)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red or purple food coloring (optional)
2 teaspoons shortening
White nonpareils and colored sanding sugar for decoration
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Prepare a large mixing bowl and measure all ingredients. Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Reserve the cherry liquid in case you need it to bring the dough together.
In the large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and kosher salt. Making sure your dry ingredients are well combined helps distribute flavors evenly throughout the dough.
Add the cold, cubed butter to your dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture. Continue mixing until the texture resembles fine crumbs with no large chunks of butter.
Stir in the chopped maraschino cherries, 2/3 cup of the finely chopped white chocolate, and the almond extract. At this point you can add one or two drops of your chosen food coloring for a festive touch.
Knead the mixture gently until it forms a cohesive ball of dough. If it feels too dry or crumbly, add small amounts of the reserved cherry liquid until it holds together without sticking.
Roll the dough into 3/4‑inch balls. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. This spacing allows room for the cookies to spread slightly while baking.
Dip the bottom of a drinking glass into sugar. Gently press each dough ball to flatten into a 1 1/2‑inch round. This step shapes the cookies and adds a subtle sugar crust.
Bake in your preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The centers should be set but still soft. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for about a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a double boiler or heat‑proof bowl set over simmering water, combine the remaining 8 ounces of white chocolate with the shortening. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted and silky smooth.
Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate. Immediately roll the dipped edge into white nonpareils and colored sanding sugar. Place the decorated cookies onto waxed paper and allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Notes
Add cherry liquid sparingly to avoid sticky dough.
Use a cookie scoop for even sizing.
Cookies can be frozen before or after baking.
Let the white chocolate cool slightly before dipping for best results.
Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes Decorating Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 88
- Sugar: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Protein: 1g