These Cherry Blossom Cookies are also called Cherry Kiss cookies and they are my families favorite Christmas cookie recipe.
If I don't make them during the Christmas baking season I am in big trouble!
They are also one of our favorite Christmas Cookie Exchange recipes.
Cherry Blossom Cookies are one of the sweetest Christmas treats you can make.
Fluffy little pillows of a almond flavored cookie filled with pieces of maraschino cherries and topped with a Kiss.
The dough is rolled in sugar before baking and when they come out of the oven piping hot you push a Hersey's Kiss into the center.
Each bite is like eating a chocolate covered cherry.
My favorite holiday cookie exchange recipe.
You may have seen me post a picture or two of these cherry blossom cookies in the past few years. It is my all-time favorite Christmas cookie exchange recipe.
I only bake it at Christmas time.
Everyone loves them that tries them.
They are a beautiful pink color from the maraschino cherry liquid that is added to the cookie dough.
🥣Recipe Prep
- Soften the butter before starting the recipe.
- Carefully unwrap all of the Hersey Kiss chocolates and place them in a bowl near by. Try not to damage the point.
- Chop the Maraschino cherries and place them in a bowl.
- Put the granulated sugar into a small bowl.
- Preheat the oven if baking immediately. I like to chill my cookie dough before baking and will normally bake the cookies the next day.
How to make Cherry Blossom Cookies
Below is a quick look at the ingredients and directions. You can find the entire ingredient amounts and step by step directions in the recipe card below. P. S. You can also save your favorite recipes to your personal recipe box! ⬇️
👇See the step by step directions below!
Ingredients
These festive pink and white cookies get their name from the chopped maraschino cherries which look like tiny cherry blossoms when baked into the dough.
The cookies are rolled in granulated sugar after baking for a sparkling finish. A Hershey's kiss is pressed into the center of each hot cookie for the perfect Christmas treat!
- unsalted butter (no substitutions)
- sifted powdered sugar
- salt
- maraschino cherries and liquid
- pure almond extract to flavor the cookies
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- white granulated sugar to dip the cookies into before baking
- Hershey's milk chocolate kisses
Directions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350' F degrees if baking immediately after mixing the cookie dough.
- Step 2: Beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Add the powdered sugar and salt to the bowl and beat until combined.
- Step 4: Beat in cherry liquid and almond extract until combined.
- Step 5: Beat in as much flour as you can with the hand mixer.
- Step 6: Stir in the remaining flour and the chopped maraschino cherries with a wooden spoon.
- Step 7: You can immediately bake the cookies now but I like to chill the cherry blossom cookie dough for at least an hour before baking the cookies. The dough is easier to scoop and roll if it is cold.
- Step 8: Scoop and roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls. You can use a teaspoon or use a 1 inch dough scoop for this step.
- Step 9: Dip in each dough ball into granulated sugar, covering all sides of the dough.
- Step 10: Slightly flatten the dough balls into a disk. Place each cookie dough ball 2 inches apart on a un-greased cookie sheet. Lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper helps makes sure the bottoms of the cookies bake evenly and don't over brown.
- Step 11: Bake the cherry blossom cookies 10-14 minutes or just until the bottom edges are lightly golden. Remove each baking sheet of cookies from the oven and immediately press a Hersey kiss into the middle of the hot cookies.
- Step 12: Let the cookies cool about five minutes and carefully move the cookies to a cooling rack without disturbing the soft Hersey kiss. (see notes)
- Step 13: Cool the cookies and allow the Hersey Kiss to harden completely before storing in a single layer in an airtight container. Makes 48 Cherry Blossom Cookies
Recipe Expert Tips
- It takes a very long time for the Hersey Kiss to harden after melting on top of the hot cookie. You can speed it up placing the cookies in refrigerator for 20 minutes or so. Be sure the Hersey Kisses have hardened before storing or the chocolate kiss will be damaged.
- Chilling the dough is not unnecessary but it makes handling the soft cookie dough so much easier.
- Using a 1 inch dough scoop will help make each blossom cookie the exact same size.
- Do not over bake or the bottom will darken. Lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper will help prevent over browning.
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Cherry Blossom Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (no substitutions softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons maraschino cherry liquid
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup maraschino cherries (chopped)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for rolling the cookie dough)
- 48 whole Hershey's milk chocolate kisses
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350' F. Beat butter in a mixing bowl on medium high speed for 30 seconds.
- Add powdered sugar and salt; beat until combined.
- Beat in cherry liquid and almond extract until combined.
- Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour and the cherries with a wooden spoon.
- Chill dough for at least an hour.
- Unwrap all the Hersey kisses and set aside.
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls, rolling them in your hand.
- Gently flatten the balls into a disk.
- Dip in granulated sugar, covering all sides of the dough.
- Place balls 2 inches apart on a un-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies 10-14 minutes just until the bottom edges are lightly browned.
- Remove each baking sheet of cookies from the oven and immediately press a Hersey kiss into the middle of the hot cookies.
- Let cool about five minutes and carefully move the cookies to a cooling rack with out disturbing the soft Hersey kiss. (see notes).
- Cool completely before storing in a single layer in an air tight container.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- It takes a very long time for the Hersey Kiss to harden after melting on top of the hot cookie. You can speed it up placing the cookies in refrigerator for 20 minutes or so. Be sure the Hersey kisses have hardened before storing or the kiss can be damaged.
- Chilling the dough is not necessary but it makes handling the soft cookie dough so much easier.
- Using a 1 inch dough scoop will help make each blossom cookie the exact same size.
- Do not over bake or the bottom will darken. Lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper will help prevent over browning.
Nutrition
Corina
I forgot to add sugar well cooking. Is it a huge deal? also I only got 30 cookies out of the recipe & I used the scoop.
Thank you
Arlene Mobley
Not adding the sugar is going to be a nig issue in the cookie flavor and the way they bake.
Laura
I noticed that you modified the recipe this past November. I made these cookies last year w/vanilla & cornstarch, am wondering why the elimation of these two ingredients?
Arlene Mobley
Hi Laura all I updated last year was the photos. Are you sure it was my recipe you made last year? My recipe has never had vanilla or cornstarch in it.
Laura
Thanks for getting back to me. I'm not sure why I added the 1/2 tsp of cornstarch, but I am eliminating it from my recipe copy. I did add 1/4 tsp of almond extract and 1/8 tsp of vanilla (which I may eliminate also). Your recipe is definitely a keeper!
Arlene Mobley
Thank you Laura. I'm glad I could help. This is our all time favorite Christmas Cookie recipe that everyone loves. Happy holidays!
Gerard J
Slightly confused about quantity of kisses. Other similar recipes call for similar amounts of Ingredients but only 24 kisses. Are these extra small? They look the same.
Arlene Mobley
Please read the entire recipe card for all the recipe details. There are 24 servings in the entire recipe - 2 cookies equal one serving. This recipe makes 48 cookies.
Christina
Superb flavor in these cookies, a new favorit! For the person who asked about high altitude, I am at 6500 feet above sea level and I baked this recipe exactly as directed but added about 2 T extra maraschino liquid because I am in high dessert (Colorado) so it's very dry. I chilled them before baking, I think that is key to keeping them from flattening too much. I used the swirled hershey's kisses and served for Valentines day, so pretty.
Arlene Mobley
Christina
Thanks for the high altitude info! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. This is our favorite cookie recipe!
Carolyn Ashcraft
No eggs in this recipe?
Arlene Mobley
Carolyn no eggs in this cookie recipe.