The Weather May be Frightful, but the Cookies are Delightful


1197996834Last weekend’s snowstorm may have wreaked havoc with my tightly-packed holiday schedule, but it did have an upside. Being snowed in gave me an opportunity to bake some Christmas cookies. While they may not be a thing of beauty, it’s not Christmas at my house until the chocolate-covered cherry cookies are cooling on a wire rack.

As a kid, chocolate-covered cherry cookies was the one holiday treat I asked for. While my brother was content with good old chocolate chip, I demanded these labor-intensive goodies. The dough is pretty simple to make, but it’s easier to handle if it’s refrigerated. While it’s chilling, take the time to halve your maraschino cherries and make the frosting that tops the cherries.

I’m not sure why I like these so much. It may be the not-too-sweet cookie combined with the sugary frosting. Cherry is also a flavor that isn’t often associated with the holidays, so it’s a nice break from the nutmeg and cinnamon assault that comes between Thanksgiving and the New Year. The most likely explanation is that I’m conditioned to associate them with being at home for the holidays.

If you’d like the recipe, let us know and we’ll post it. I’d post it now, but my teeny tiny kitchen is still a disaster from my day of baking.