Meet your new favorite sweet treat: Cherry Blossom Cookies! These cookies combine the best of creamy butter, maraschino cherries, and chocolate with a dash of flair. The cookies get a sprinkle of sugar for crunch and then they get crowned with cherry cordial Hershey kisses. Perfect for any occasion where a pop of color and a burst of flavor are welcomed guests. Easy to bake and even easier to enjoy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the juice, baking emulsion, almond extract, and food coloring if using. Beat until well blended.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt over the mixing bowl and beat on medium speed just until combined. Mix in the chopped cherries.
Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar or red sanding sugar.
Place the dough balls on the baking sheet 2-inches apart and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown.
When you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately press a cherry cordial kiss into the warm cookies. let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
If you can’t find cherry emulsion or extract, add one more teaspoon of cherry juice and an extra ¼ teaspoon of almond extract.
Use restraint when adding the almond extract, as it tends to overpower the cookies in larger amounts. A small amount will enhance the cherry flavor, but too much will dominate and make it taste more like bitter almond.