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
Danette
Is this made with salted butter or unsalted butter? Thanks!
Arlene Mobley
Danette
Unsalted butter.
Maria
This is the first recipe that I have ever seen that doesn't call for eggs. Was this done in error?
Arlene Mobley
Maria
This cookie recipe does not have eggs in it.
Arlene
Jennifer Forrest
Hi,
What would you change or add when baking these cookies in high altitude? I made them before in Florida and have since moved to Colorado and the cookies came out flat. Thanks!
Arlene Mobley
Jennifer
I'm sorry but I have no experience with high altitude baking. I did a quick search and found this high altitude baking guide from King Arthur Flour. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html It sounds like you will need to do some experiments to find the right adjustments for this recipe.
Kim
I also live high altitude 7,000 feet. Just made these cookies and they came out flat just like the peanut butter blossoms I made a few days ago. Now I thought it might be because there is no baking soda in these but there is some in the peanut butter blossoms. I am just going to stop trying cookies. Everything else comes out fantastic. I make baklava, cakes, pies, tarts cinnamon buns, etc., etc., you name it but any cookie comes out looking terrible. Taste is there but I can't offer them to anyone looking the way they do.
Arlene Mobley
Kim I am sorry to hear this. I am in Florida which is the complete opposite altitude as you. King Arthur Baking has a good article on High Altitude baking. Maybe one of their tips will help you.
Sarah
I am in Northern Nevada near Tahoe and they came out completely flat for me as well. I was so bummed as cherry anything is a favorite. I’ve had to adjust other cookie recipes with more flour, so I’ll give them another shot. Will report back if it works!
Arlene Mobley
Hi Sarah
I'm sorry to hear that. It could be an altitude issue. Here is an article that might help. How to adjust a cookie recipe for High Altitude.
Jen
My families new favorite cookie! Even the kiddo that hates cherries. These will be on the annual Christmas cookie list. Thank you!
Arlene Mobley
Jen glad to hear this. It is a Christmas tradition in my family. I have to make this cookie every Christmas.
Arlene
carol yemola
These sound wonderful. Hope the baker of the Cherry Blossom Cookies by Flour on my Face wins!!!
Denise@bebetsy.com
I just made these! yours are so much prettier and perfect but mine do taste fantastic. Thanks you!
Flour On My Face
Denise
Practice makes perfect and the way they taste is all that matters. I'm glad you like them!
Carla
Love these cookies! I make a similar version with the Cherry Cordial kisses. You should give them a try! Although I love them with the plain ones too.
Stephanie Zielinski
I love, love, love these cookies! Can't wait to bake them 🙂
Terra
Okay, you totally have my attention! I am not a huge chocolate lover, BUT I am a huge cherry lover.....so this recipe ROCKS!!! Those cherry blossoms look so delicious, Hugs, Terra
Flour On My Face
Thank you Terra. Did you see the Sweet Cherry Almond Cookie Bar recipe I just posted? OMG! that's all I can say......
Susan
What a great twist on blossom cookies. They are so pretty!
Audrey's Mamma
How beautiful! And they sound so yummy!
Katie
My husband would absolutely be all over these!!!! They look great.
Laura | Small Wallet, Big Appetite
These look so tasty and so pretty. I am sure these would make some great gifts
Sarah
My grandpa would have loved this, he loved this kind of candy
Anne @ Webicurean
Chocolate and cherry is one of the BEST combinations! Although these cookies look so good without the kiss on top--I'm really tempted to try them plain!
Flour On My Face
Anne
I have seen them with out the Hersey kiss and they are probably very good but I have always made them with the kiss on top and my kids would probably riot if I made it any other way.
Donna
OOh! I love the color on these! So pretty with the pink.
Flour On My Face
Thank you Donna!
Lyn @LovelyPantry
These little blossoms are beautiful! You capture them so well. How can one resist?
Sheila Fretz (@CookUnderwriter)
These look so yummy and tasty I will have to try.