Description
Delight in these Cherry Blossom Cookies, a perfect blend of old-fashioned oats, warm spices, dried tart cherries, and a luscious chocolate kiss center. Enhanced with optional vanilla almond bark drizzle, they're soft in the middle and lightly browned at the edges, making a cozy treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (209g, 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 and 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, cinnamon, salt, ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl until well combined. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Cream Butter & Sugars: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened unsalted butter with the packed brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until fluffy and light in texture.
- Add Eggs: Add the two large eggs one at a time, mixing on high speed just until combined. Then add the vanilla extract and molasses and mix again just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Slowly add the oat-flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Then fold in the dried tart cherries carefully on low speed to evenly distribute them throughout the dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. Chilling prevents the oats from over-absorbing moisture and helps with dough handling.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or non-slip baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Roll Balls: Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure, roll the dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls. Since the dough is sticky, spray your hands lightly with cooking spray mixed with flour before rolling. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned but centers appear soft and slightly under-baked.
- Add Chocolate Kisses: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 8 minutes to firm up slightly. Press a chocolate kiss gently into the center of each cookie while they are still warm.
- 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 at 15-second increments, stirring between intervals until fully melted and smooth.
- Drizzle: Transfer the melted vanilla almond bark to a ziploc bag, snip a tiny hole in a corner, and drizzle over the cooled cookies to finish with a decorative glaze.
Notes
- Spraying your hands with cooking spray mixed with flour helps prevent sticky cookie dough from sticking while rolling.
- Do not chill the dough longer than 60 minutes to avoid the oats absorbing too much moisture and changing the texture.
- If you don't have vanilla almond bark, you can use white chocolate chips as a substitute for the drizzle.
- The centers of the cookies will appear soft and slightly underdone when you take them out of the oven but will firm up during cooling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
