A few years ago, my friend Julie organized a food blogger cookie swap. I sent a box of Christmas treats to a few bloggers and was fortunate to receive a few boxes of treats too.
At first bite, I became obsessed with these cookies and they have made an appearance in my kitchen every Christmas since. I love them so much, my family asks for them by name now. They are a little kitschy. Isn’t anything with a maraschino cherry just a little bit tacky? I automatically think of those “salads” with the marshmallows and the cherries. I love tacky, I’m not judging,
The flavor of these cookies starts with browned butter. If you have never browned butter before, not to worry. It is really simple, but you do need to babysit the pan. I’ve never in my life seen anything go from perfect to absolutely burnt as fast as browned butter can. Well, maybe cooked sugar. That needs a babysitter too.
When you brown butter, it goes from melted to toasted, and the flavor becomes nutty and deep and it truly is incredible. Not only is it excellent in baking, but also on vegetables, tossed in pasta, it elevates a package of frozen ravioli to an entirely new place. Give it a go.
For this recipe, you will brown the butter once, but divide it into two portions – one for the brown butter cherry chocolate walnut cookies and the other for the browned butter icing.
Tips for Brown Butter Cherry Chocolate Walnut Cookies
- Take the time to toast the walnuts. Even though the walnuts will be baked when the cookies are, it makes a huge difference in the overall flavor of the cookie.
- Make sure to dry your cherries well. The added moisture will not be kind to your cookies. I drain them when I pour them out of the jar and dry them with a paper towel. I also do a good press of paper towel over the chopped cherries.
- Use a high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate chip. I like Guittard or Ghirardelli. Tip: they are always on sale during the holidays; I STOCK UP. I have a whole shelf in my pantry of just chips.
- These cookies are an excellent addition to a cookie box or tray. They add a lot of color and are a nice change from the typical Christmas cookies.
Brown Butter Cherry Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
Brown Butter Cherry Chocolate Walnut Cookies
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 jar maraschino cherries (10 ounces)
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Brown Butter Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup brown butter, reserved from the cookie quantity
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Add walnuts to a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, and remove from heat to cool. Set aside.
- Drain the maraschino cherries and dry on a paper towel, cut into quarters and pat dry. Set aside.
- To brown butter, add butter to a medium saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring until the butter begins to froth and foam. Brown flecks will form on the bottom of the pan and the butter will smell toasted. Be careful to not walk away, as this burns quickly.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the butter for the frosting and pour the remaining butter into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Add the sugars to the butter and mix until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until you can no longer see the flour. Fold in cherries, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop the dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, add powdered sugar to the reserved brown butter that is at room temperature. Mix and then add vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Add more milk or powdered sugar to get the desired consistency as needed.
Nutrition
This recipe is from Jenna of Just J. Faye.
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