This recipe has been my go-to for Valentine’s Day since I created it in 2016. After all, Dark Chocolate Sour Cherry Cookies are a pretty good way of letting someone know they’re special, whether they’re friends, family, a Valentine’s crush or yourself. Yes, don’t forget to treat yourself on Valentine’s Day, whether or not any of those other categories apply.
Dark Chocolate Sour Cherry Cookies: Sophisticated & Boldly Seductive
These cookies are boldly seductive. In fact, they make my sultry gingersnaps for Leonard Cohen seem rather tame in comparison. Made with dark chocolate* and cocoa powder, the batter is soft and luscious. Just look at it — could you resist using your fingers to take a pinch?
The dried sour cherries add a fruity tang that complements the chocolate, and a lavish dollop of almond extract brings all the flavours together. Once baked, the cookies are slightly crisp on the outside, yielding to the tooth to reveal a dark, tender interior.
Chocolate. Sour cherries. Almond essence. Oh yes, these are cookies for grown-ups.
They say romance.
They say I deserve a treat like this.
And of course they say I’ve been crushing on you since I was 19, Leonard.
You’ll want to bookmark this recipe for next Valentine’s Day, but don’t wait until then to spread the romance!
Note: When I haven’t had 70% chocolate on hand, I’ve used Bakers semi-sweet, which has a cocoa percentage of 57% and makes for a sweeter cookie, according to this article. In fact, all the cookies shown in this post, except for the photo with the white background, used Bakers semi-sweet. The difference in darkness is due more to the different lighting conditions than anything else.
Let’s Get Baking!
The combination of dark chocolate*, sour cherries and almond is sophisticated and, dare I say, boldly seductive. These are chocolate cookies for grown-ups, and a single batch provides about 50 ways to tell someone they're special.
*While the recipe calls for dark (70%) chocolate, in a pinch, I make them with Bakers semi-sweet chocolate, which has about 57% cocoa according to this article and all the adjectives above still apply.
- 3 oz dark chocolate (70% cocao)
- 1-1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup dried sour cherries
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp almond extract
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Pre-heat oven to 350 ℉ and line one or more cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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In a heat-proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate. (You could also use a microwave at about 50% power for one minute at a time; stir after each interval until the choclated is melted.) Remove from heat and allow to cool somewhat.
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Place the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and stir together.
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Place the sour cherries in a small bowl, and toss them with a couple teaspoons of the flour mixture. Separate them with your fingers and toss again.
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Cream the butter until light, then blend in the sugar until fluffy, scraping down the bowl once. Mix in the egg and almond extract. Once incorporated, scrape the bowl, add the melted chocolate and blend well.
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Add the flour mixture and stir slowly until well-mixed, scraping down the bowl. Tumble the sour cherries into the batter and stir in. If using a stand mixer, just allow a few turns of the paddle, and then finish stirring by hand with a sturdy spatula until the cherries are well distributed. If you’re using a hand-held mixer with standard metal beaters, stir the cherries in completely by hand to avoid breaking them up — we’re going for big luscious bites.
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I use my 1-tablespoon ice cream scoop with built in scraper-release mechanism to form the batter, placing the delectable dollops on the parchment lined baking tray about 2 inches apart.
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Bake the cookies at 350℉ for 10 minutes (note: I use aluminum baking trays lined with parchment paper; if you use different pans, experiment with one or two cookies to determine the right baking time). Once done, I let the cookies stay on the tray for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them to a cooking rack. The cookies spread out nicely into rounds about 2 inches in diameter, providing about 50 ways to say wow, you’re special.
Looking for More Special Cookies?
If you’re looking to woo someone with cookies, may I suggest the following delectable treats? You can’t go wrong with Chocolate, Cherry & Pistachio Macaroon Meringues, in my humble opinion. Or perhaps Sultry Gingersnaps for Leonard or the ever-so-classic Chocolate Chip Cookies.
First Published 2016 03 05
Republished 2021 02 14
that is a good receipe . stealing it …
I’m glad to hear this one appeals to you, Suzanne — you’re most welcome to use the recipe!
Any cookie recipe with sour cherries in it is fine with me, Mar. I love ’em! In fact, I buy more than needed because I end up snacking on them as I prepare the recipe. It took me a couple of batches of under-cherried cookies to figure that out. Love that these are chocolate cookies rather than chocolate chip. The better to contrast with the sour cherries. 🙂
Aha, we share a sour cherry fascination! I’ve got some in my oatmeal right now. I buy mine at Costco, and I do believe they’re from Michigan. I’m glad to hear your view on chocolate vs chocolate chip cookies — I didn’t think using chips would deliver the result I was looking for. These are the first chocolate cookies I’ve made (and I’ll be making them again!).
There’s a vendor at the farmer’s market that sells a number of dried fruits. Before the market closes for the season, I stock up on dried cherries — for me — and dried cranberries — for Zia. When I run out, it’s good to know I can get more at Costco. Thanks!
It’s a good thing you stock up, John! I’ve learned the hard way that Costco doesn’t always have the dried cherries — next time I see them I’m getting two bags! They’re my favourite dried fruit right now.
Oh do these sound good Marlene. The combination of chocolate and cherries have always been a favorite of mine.
Thanks of much, Karen! I have a hard time resisting chocolate and cherry myself.
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