Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread (Printable)

Buttery, festive shortbread studded with sweet maraschino cherries for holiday gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

→ Add-ins

07 - 3/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained, patted dry, and chopped
08 - 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Mix in vanilla and almond extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold in chopped maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chips, if using.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized amounts of dough and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
07 - Gently flatten each cookie with your palm or the bottom of a glass.
08 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until edges are just set and bottoms are lightly golden.
09 - Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

# Insider Tips:

01 -
  • The almond and vanilla combination creates this warm, nostalgic perfume that fills your entire kitchen
  • These cookies vanish faster than you can bake them, especially when kids spot the festive red pieces
02 -
  • These cookies continue to firm up significantly as they cool, so removing them while centers still look soft prevents overbaking
  • The dough can be made ahead and chilled for up to 2 days, which actually improves the flavor
03 -
  • Chop the cherries into smaller, uniform pieces so every cookie gets the same amount of fruity sweetness
  • Use a kitchen scale if you have one, as flour measurements vary wildly depending on how you scoop

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