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Cherry almond shortbread cookies are an easy and delicious cookie recipe! Buttery shortbread cookies flavored with almond extract and maraschino cherries. These cookies have amazing flavor with bright red cherry pieces!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature for easy creaming.
- Powdered sugar: A bit of powdered sugar adds a slight sweetness to the shortbread.
- Salt: To enhance the flavors in the cookies.
- Almond extract: One teaspoon almond extract adds amazing flavor to these cookies.
- All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour.
- Maraschino cherries: Chopped maraschino cherries.
Tools & Supplies for Making Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies
How to Make Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies
To make the cookie dough, I recommend using anelectric hand mixer or astand mixerfitted with a paddle attachment. Here is the basic breakdown of the recipe.
- Cream unsalted butter, powdered sugar, salt, and almond extract on medium speed.
- Add all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add chopped cherries to the mixture and mix on low speed until the dough forms.
- Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Form the dough using your hands and the parchment paper into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Chill the dough log for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Slice the cookie dough log to create cookies about 1/2 inch thick. Place cookies on the pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies Recipe Tips
Crumbly dough
The dough will be very crumbly at first. After you add the chopped maraschino cherries, continue to mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Sometimes this can take a few minutes. Do not add any additional liquid to the cookie dough.
Forming the dough into a log
To form the dough into a log, I like to use a sheet of parchment paper to assist. Place the cookie dough on the center of a parchment sheet and form the dough into a log shape. Fold the parchment paper over the dough to assist in creating the log shape. I also love using a spatula to help press the dough into a log shape. Check out this video on how it’s done! After the dough log is formed, wrap the dough in parchment paper and plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Cookie sizes
For the cookies pictured, I shaped the cookie dough into a log that was about two inches in diameter. I sliced the cookies approximately 1/2 inch thick. Feel free to make the diameter of the cookies smaller or slice the cookies thinner. Just be aware that the yield of the recipe will be different than what is stated and the bake times will vary. The smaller or thinner the cookies, the less time baking. The cookies are done baking when they are very slightly golden-brown around the edges.
Maraschino cherries
Chop the maraschino cherries with a knife or a small food processor. Do not worry about additional liquid. A little bit of maraschino cherry juice adds some great color and flavor to the cookies. Just remove the cherries from the juice, chop, and add to the cookie dough.
Make the cookie dough ahead of time
I love making cookie dough ahead of time, especially around the busy holidays. Make the cookie dough, form it into a log, wrap in parchment paper and plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for a week or two. When you are ready to bake, simply slice the dough and bake as directed. You can also store the dough log in the freezer for up to one month. To slice and bake the cookies, you will want the dough log to thaw slightly so that it remains cold but sliceable.
Storing
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days!
Click here to see a quick video on how to make cherry almond shortbread cookies! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
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Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 14 minutes mins
Chilling Time 1 hour hr
Yield: 20 cookies
Cherry almond shortbread cookies are an easy and delicious cookie recipe! Buttery shortbread cookies flavored with almond extract and maraschino cherries. These cookies have amazing flavor with bright red cherry pieces!
Equipment
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup maraschino cherries chopped
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together unsalted butter, powdered sugar, salt, and almond extract.
Add all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Add in chopped maraschino cherries and mix on low speed until the dough forms.
Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Form the dough using your hands and the parchment paper into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Chill the dough log for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Slice the cookie dough log into ½ inch pieces. Place the cookies on the pan allowing some room for spreading. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes until the edges are set and before the cookies start to brown.
Remove the pan from the oven. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Cherry almond shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about two days.
Make the cookie dough ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for one month.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
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Reader Interactions
Did you make this recipe or want to see more? Make sure to leave your review below and tag me on Instagram @CakeMeHomeTonight so I can see your creations!
Norma H. Myers saysJust wondering if you have the calorie count for each cookie. Thanks.
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- Courtney says
Hi Norma! Unfortunately I don’t have the calorie counts. My apologies.
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- Linda Glaz says
So far, each of them has collapsed into a puddle. I let stay in fridge for 3 hours before baking. But none had any shape whatsoever?????Reply
- Courtney says
Hi Linda! I’m sorry you aren’t having luck with this recipe. Something is definitely off and I’m wondering if it is a measurement error. They should maintain shape throughout the baking process. They shouldn’t spread or collapse at all. I do appreciate you trying out the recipe and apologize that it didn’t go according to plan for you.
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- Hope says
I followed the recipe as written. My cookies tasted like flour. I baked as directed. Actually placed half the cookies back in the oven for 6 more minutes thinking they had not finished baking. Those cookies tasted like raw flour also.
Any ideas as to what might have happened? So disappointing.Reply
- Courtney says
Hi Hope! I’m sorry these cookies were disappointing to you. I’m not sure what could have gone wrong. I just baked a batch myself because they are my daughter’s favorite Christmas cookies and they turned out well for me. I wish I could help you troubleshoot, but I’m really not sure what would have happened here to make them taste like raw flour. My apologies that you felt disappointed with the recipe.
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- Tara says
Could you use Amareno cherries instead of maraschino cherries?
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- Courtney says
Hi Tara! I haven’t made this recipe with amareno cherries, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let me know if you test it out! I would love to hear how it comes out!
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- Debi says
How long should you cream the butter and other ingredients? Just until mixed or longer until creamed, like 8 minutes? Thank you.
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- Courtney says
Hi Debi! I like to cream the butter and sugar until the butter is creamy and lightens in color a bit. It’s hard to put a time on it because butter temperature can dictate the amount of creaming time. After you add the remaining ingredients, the mixture will be crumbly, so I recommend mixing just until the dough comes together. Hope that helps!
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- Fran says
Cookies are absolutely delicious. I will definately be baking them again.
Can the recipe be doubled?Reply
- Courtney says
Hi Fran! Yes, absolutely. You can hit the 2X button on the recipe card to double the recipe.
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- Shanti says
Hi can this be rolled out and cut into shapes ?
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- Courtney says
I haven’t tried that, but it does maintain shape when baked, so it might work! Let me know if you give it a try!
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