Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

I rush around a lot. Maybe it's because I take on too much at once. Maybe it's because I religiously procrastinate. Maybe it's a combo platter, with a side of chronic sleeping in and a tall glass of not enough hours in the day.

This holiday season was no different. With lots of last minute shopping, cleaning and packing the weekend before our Florida Christmas trip, I was forced to put thoughts of baking on my brain’s back burner. That is, until a holiday party was about to start in just a few frantic hours, and I somehow needed to show up with dessert. And hair that didn't resemble that of a madwoman.

What ever did I do? Well, first I fixed my hair. One thing I do know how to do is prioritize. Then I turned to myrecipes.com (a haven for Cooking Light and other recipes), and found this highly rated, quick and easy cookie with enough chocolate and cherries to cover up any mistake I'd make whipping them up like a maniac.

 

 

 

I wish I could reminisce for you and recall every little detail of the experience, but it’s all kind of a blur of fast mixing, scooping, quick flashes of the camera and sprints back and forth to the bathroom for a turbo-speed makeover. I got more use out of my apron than ever before.

 

 

 

 

Sadly, I ended up leaving the cookies in the oven a bit too long (I blame my shaky eyeliner hand), so I had more of a "crunchy" chewy cookie, but they were still very good. Every bite was chock full of sweet melted chocolate and tart cherries. A great combination. Especially with only 80 calories per warm gooey serving. And as for the party, we made it on time, dressed, and bearing dessert. And there weren’t many cookies left at the end of the night, so I guess that makes them a success.

I may not have learned anything groundbreaking about cooking or baking with this recipe, but I did learn something just as important. In the middle of all the madness, sometimes you've got to just stop and enjoy a good cookie. Especially one with chocolate.

 

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

Yield: 30 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

Cookbook Note: The tartness of the cherries contrasts with the cocoa and semisweet chocolate chips.

Ingredients:
1  cup  all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/3  cup  unsweetened cocoa
1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  cup  sugar
1/3  cup  butter, softened
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1  large egg
2/3  cup  dried tart cherries
3  tablespoons  semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or just until set. (I'd take them out earlier, maybe around 9-10 min.) Remove from oven; cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 80 (30% from fat), Fat: 2.7g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.1g), Protein: 1.1g, Carbohydrate: 13.4g, Fiber: 0.8g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Iron: 0.4mg, Sodium: 56mg, Calcium: 10mg.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2005