Description
Delightful Cherry Blossom Cookies featuring old-fashioned oats, warm spices, dried tart cherries, and a chocolate kiss center, optionally topped with a vanilla almond bark drizzle. Perfectly chewy with a soft center and a festive touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
Add-ins & Toppings
- 1 cup dried tart cherries
- 26-28 chocolate kisses
Vanilla Drizzle (Optional)
- 3 ounces vanilla almond bark, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugars: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar at medium speed until fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time and mix on high speed just until combined. Then add the vanilla extract and molasses and mix again just until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the dry oat mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Next, beat in the dried tart cherries on low speed to evenly distribute.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. Avoid chilling longer to prevent oats from absorbing too much moisture, which can negatively affect texture.
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use non-slip baking mats for easy removal.
- Roll Dough Balls: Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into two-tablespoon sized balls. The dough will be sticky, so spray your hands lightly with cooking spray mixed with flour to prevent sticking. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. The centers will remain soft and slightly underbaked, which is desired for chewiness.
- Add Chocolate Kisses: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. While still warm, gently press one chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie, allowing it to soften slightly.
- Melt Vanilla Almond Bark (Optional): Place the chopped vanilla almond bark and 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, then continue microwaving in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth.
- Drizzle Cookies (Optional): Transfer the melted almond bark to a Ziploc bag and snip a very small corner to create a piping tip. Drizzle the vanilla almond bark over the cookies for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Spraying your hands with cooking spray mixed with flour helps manage the sticky dough when rolling cookies.
- Chilling the dough is important for texture but avoid chilling longer than one hour to prevent oats from absorbing excess moisture.
- If vanilla almond bark is unavailable, white chocolate chips can be used as a substitute for the drizzle.
- Allow cookies to cool slightly before pressing in chocolate kisses to avoid them melting excessively.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
