What’s not to like about big chocolate cherry cookies? Did I mention that they’re double chocolate? That they’re big? That they’re crunchy and full of dried tart chewy cherries and dark bittersweet chocolate chips?
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While attending junior high way back in the day when the internet was something used for badminton, there was a tiny shopping center called the Shoppette (yes, seriously) directly across the street from school. A bakery opened up the year I was in 8th grade. I saved my lunch pennies and wandered into the bakery almost every day to fetch a warm chocolate chip cookie or two. They were big and crunchy. And warm. I would hustle home, grab a glass of milk and voluntarily go to my room to do “homework” which was code for eating cookies and reading a book. Thankfully my brother’s noses were not as sensitive as the dog’s so my crack bakery habit was safe until the place went out of business half a year later.
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These cookies remind me of that year, but I think these might even taste a little better. After all, bittersweet chocolate is more interesting than semi-sweet and dried tart cherries are a great foil to the rich chocolate flavor.
Browning the butter makes a big difference in the finished taste of cookies and it also makes mixing them up much less hassle. Brown the butter, add the sugar, egg, flavorings and dry stuff. Mix it all up, scoop into dough balls, refrigerate overnight and bake. Easy. And pretty darn tasty.
I bet you’re wondering why I keep telling you to let the dough for cookies and pie crusts rest or chill out in the big refrigerator overnight? Because. It allows the rice flours to absorb more moisture and starches to swell and stuff like that. That’s why sometimes the dough or batter will be very wet when you toss it into the refrigerator and when it comes out it suddenly seems much more dry. That’s a good thing because you want everything to become cohesive for best texture and flavors.
I found little bittersweet mini baking chunks at Whole Foods – the 365 brand. But almost every supermarket carries some brand of bittersweet or dark chocolate chips these days. Get the best dried tart cherries you can find.
My retro 13-year-old 8th grade self might miss those gooey warm cookies still – but my current (ancient old) GF self absolutely appreciates these double chocolate cherry chip cookies. With milk. With coffee. Or for breakfast.
Double Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 287 grams unsalted butter melted and browned (2.5 sticks)
- 100 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup
- 100 grams brown sugar 1/2 cup
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cherry liqueur distilled and GF
- 1 extra-large egg
- 340 grams AP GF flour 170 grams superfine brown rice flour plus 85 grams each superfine white rice flour and tapioca flour/starch (2 2/3 cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso
- 140 grams dried cherries organic and tart are best (1 cup)
- 140 grams bittersweet chocolate chips 1 cup
Instructions
- In a medium-large sauce pan gently melt and brown butter on medium low heat until it’s fragrant and a nutty brown color. Remove from heat and add both sugars. Stir until all the sugar is incorporated into the butter and let the mixture cool slightly. Using a whisk stir again and add the unsweetened cocoa. Add vanilla and cherry liqueur. Stir. Add egg (make sure mixture is no longer hot to the touch) and stir thoroughly.
- In a larger bowl mix flour with salt, baking soda and espresso. Whisk. Add butter mixture to dry mixture and with a wooden spoon, mix until everything is incorporated. Let mixture cool to room temperature. It should take about 15-20 minutes. Add the cherries and chocolate chips and stir. If the dough is warm, the chocolate will melt a little bit. Using clean hands gather dough and mix to make sure everything is well incorporated. Scoop into generous 1/4 cup dough balls and refrigerate on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Remove dough from refrigerator. Place six dough balls to a cookie sheet well apart from one another. Let them soften slightly. Flatten with wet fingers just before baking so that they are almost 4 inches big. Bake about 10 minutes and rotate. Bake about 3 minutes more. Repeat.
