Chickie’s Cherry Cookies
Makes 48 cookies
Family friend Chickie, so the story goes, like so many Italian brides, learned to cook from her husband’s mother. The slice-and-bake method is my make-ahead addition to her recipe. These contribute a contrasting shape (and pretty pink color) to the other drop cookies on our cookie tray. During the holiday cooking bustle, it’s always wise to have a couple logs of frozen cookie dough on hand. See the Variations below for the original shaping method.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (100 g) sugar, plus more for glazing
- ½ cup (100 g) jarred Luxardo or Maraschino cherries, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons juice from the jar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- A couple drops of red food coloring (optional)
- 1 egg white, beaten, for glazing
DIRECTIONS
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl, with a handheld mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and cherries for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to fully incorporate the first one before adding the second one, then blend until fully combined. Slowly pour in the flour mixture, beating on low speed to combine and then continue to beat, adding the almond or vanilla extract, cherry juice, and, if desired, the food coloring (to achieve a pink color) halfway through, until the dough is well mixed. Cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
- Divide the dough in half and form into two 11-inch-long (28 cm) logs, about 1½ inches (4 cm) in diameter (I use a paper towel tube slit lengthwise to form the logs). Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap, twist the ends to seal, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months; defrost in the refrigerator before moving on.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Unwrap the dough logs and brush them all over with the beaten egg white to coat. Spread some sugar on a small baking sheet and roll the logs in the sugar to coat. Cut the logs into ¼-inch (0.65 cm) slices and place the cookies 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the lined baking sheets.
- Put the pans side by side on one oven rack or on separate racks (switching the top one for the bottom halfway through if using two racks) and bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the cookies are golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
PANTRY
Need help with the ingredients? Check our pantry list:
cook's note
Variations: These can be made as drop cookies: After the dough chills, scoop out 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls of dough onto the baking sheets and bake as directed. Make a thumbprint version by pressing your thumb into the center of each drop cookie halfway through baking. For an attractive display, add a cherry to the center of each one just before serving.
Fat for cookie baking: Lard or Crisco is called for in most of the original versions of Italian American cookie recipes. Lard was originally used, and then replaced with Crisco vegetable shortening, which was inexpensive and shelf-stable, when it arrived on the scene in the early part of the twentieth century. Crisco gives a similar flakiness to a cookie as lard but without the “gamey” flavor. Cookies made with butter bake differently; it improves the flavor, but they will spread out more, and the edges will tend toward a golden crisp.
Fat for cookie baking: Lard or Crisco is called for in most of the original versions of Italian American cookie recipes. Lard was originally used, and then replaced with Crisco vegetable shortening, which was inexpensive and shelf-stable, when it arrived on the scene in the early part of the twentieth century. Crisco gives a similar flakiness to a cookie as lard but without the “gamey” flavor. Cookies made with butter bake differently; it improves the flavor, but they will spread out more, and the edges will tend toward a golden crisp.
