Introduction
Hey there, sweet friend! Let’s talk cookies. You know, those little bites of happiness that can instantly transport you back to simpler times, maybe standing in your grandma’s kitchen or sharing a warm batch with loved ones? Well, get ready to make some new memories because these Fudgy Chocolate Cherry Cookies are about to become your new favorite thing. They’re deep, dark, and chocolatey, with that perfect hint of sweet and slightly tart cherry peeking through. And the best part? They’re surprisingly easy to whip up!
I first tinkered with a recipe like this years ago, looking for a way to combine my love for rich chocolate with the bright pop of fruit, and let me tell you, this version is the one I keep coming back to. It’s quick enough for a weeknight craving but impressive enough for sharing. Seriously, these cookies disappear fast!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Why exactly are these cookies so special? Let me count the ways:
- Fast: From mixing bowl to cooling rack, you won’t spend hours in the kitchen. Perfect for when a cookie craving strikes!
- Easy: No fancy techniques here. If you can stir and scoop, you can make these!
- Giftable: These cookies are GORGEOUS and hold up well, making them perfect for holiday tins, neighborly gifts, or just brightening someone’s day.
- Crowd-Pleasing: Chocolate? Check. Cherries? Check. A soft, fudgy texture? Double-check! Everyone who tries these raves about them.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to gather. Most of these are likely staples in your pantry already!
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature so it creams easily with the sugar. This is key for texture!
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar: For sweetness and a little crispness around the edges.
- 3/4 cup light packed brown sugar: The secret to that soft, chewy, fudgy texture! Make sure it’s packed into the measuring cup.
- 2 egg yolks: Using just the yolks adds richness and creates a tender, almost brownie-like texture without making them cakey.
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract: A classic flavor enhancer that brings out the best in the chocolate.
- 3/8 cup heavy cream: This adds moisture and helps create that wonderfully fudgy consistency. Don’t skip it!
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour: The structure for our cookies.
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder: Dutch-process cocoa gives these cookies a deep, dark, almost black color and a smoother, less bitter chocolate flavor than natural cocoa. It makes a difference!
- 1/2 tsp baking powder: Helps the cookies puff up just a little bit.
- 1/2 tsp sea salt: Balances out all that sweetness and chocolate. Sea salt adds a nice subtle flavor.
- 5 oz chocolate: You can use chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark are great) or chop up your favorite chocolate bar into chunks. Chunks give you those amazing melty pockets!
- 1/4 cup cherry preserves: The star fruit! Choose a good quality preserve with nice pieces of cherry. This is what adds that bright, slightly tart contrast to the rich chocolate.
How to Make It
Okay, let’s get baking! Follow these simple steps and you’ll have warm, delicious cookies in no time.
Step 1: Cream the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, beat together the softened unsalted butter, granulated white sugar, and light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
Step 2: Add the Good Stuff
Beat in the two egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and the heavy cream until everything is just combined. Don’t overmix at this stage.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Give it a good whisk to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Step 4: Mix Wet and Dry
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed (or stirring by hand) until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you see no dry streaks of flour. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies!
Step 5: Fold in the Chocolate
Gently fold in the chocolate chips or chunks using a spatula. Make sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Step 6: Prep for Baking
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze!
Step 7: Scoop and Add Cherry Swirl
Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Now for the fun part! Place a small dollop (about 1/2 teaspoon) of cherry preserves on top of each cookie dough ball. You can gently swirl it in with a toothpick if you like, or just leave it as a dollop. I love how the swirl looks!
Step 8: Bake!
Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft but not wet. They might look a little underdone in the middle, but that’s exactly what you want for that perfect fudgy texture! Be careful not to overbake.
Step 9: Cool
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set up properly.
Enjoy your warm, fudgy, chocolatey, cherry-filled delights!
Substitutions & Additions
Want to put your own twist on these? Here are a few ideas:
- Chocolate: Swap dark chocolate for semi-sweet, or use white chocolate chips for a different flavor contrast.
- Preserves: No cherry preserves? Try raspberry, strawberry, or even apricot preserves for a different fruity kick.
- Add-ins: Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) with the chocolate chips. A pinch of almond extract added with the vanilla would also be delicious!
- Spice: A pinch of cinnamon or a tiny bit of espresso powder can deepen the chocolate flavor even more.
Tips for Success
Making cookies is usually pretty forgiving, but here are a few pointers for the absolute best results:
- Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your butter is truly softened but not melted. You should be able to press your finger into it easily.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, as this can pack the flour and result in dry cookies.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes cookies tough.
- Undercook Slightly: For that ultimate fudgy texture, err on the side of underbaking. They will continue to set up as they cool on the hot baking sheet.
- Chill the Dough (Optional but Recommended): If you have time, chilling the dough for 30-60 minutes before scooping can help prevent spreading and deepen the flavors.
How to Store It
Once your delicious cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and fudgy for 3-4 days. If you need to stack them, you can place a layer of parchment paper between layers.
The raw cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If freezing, you can scoop the dough balls onto a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
FAQs
Got questions? I’ve got answers!
Q: Can I use natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch-process?
A: Yes, you can, but the color will be lighter and the flavor slightly different. Natural cocoa is acidic and reacts differently with leavening. Since this recipe uses baking powder (which works with both), it should be fine, but Dutch-process gives the best dark color and smooth flavor here.
Q: Why only egg yolks?
A: Egg yolks add richness, fat, and act as an emulsifier, resulting in a more tender, dense, and fudgy cookie texture compared to using whole eggs, which would make them a bit more cake-like.
Q: Can I skip the cherry preserves?
A: Absolutely! You’ll just have delicious fudgy chocolate cookies with chocolate chips. But I highly recommend trying it with the cherry preserves – it’s what makes these truly special!
Q: My cookies spread too much! What happened?
A: This could be due to several factors: your butter might have been too soft or melted, your oven temperature might be off, or the dough wasn’t chilled. Make sure your butter is just softened, and perhaps try chilling the dough next time!
Fudgy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Electric mixer Optional, but helpful
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- toothpick Optional, for swirling preserves
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 0.75 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 0.25 cup granulated white sugar
- 0.75 cup light packed brown sugar packed
- 2 egg yolks
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.375 cup heavy cream
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp sea salt
- 5 oz chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark) or chopped bar chunks
- 0.25 cup cherry preserves good quality with pieces
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened unsalted butter, granulated white sugar, and light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Beat in the two egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and the heavy cream until everything is just combined. Don't overmix at this stage.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Give it a good whisk to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed (or stirring by hand) until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you see no dry streaks of flour. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies!
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips or chunks using a spatula. Make sure they're evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze!
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Place a small dollop (about 1/2 teaspoon) of cherry preserves on top of each cookie dough ball. You can gently swirl it in with a toothpick if you like, or just leave it as a dollop.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft but not wet. They might look a little underdone in the middle, but that's exactly what you want for that perfect fudgy texture! Be careful not to overbake.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set up properly.
- Enjoy your warm, fudgy, chocolatey, cherry-filled delights!
Notes
Storage: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Can stack with parchment paper. Raw dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze dough balls, scoop onto a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to baking time.