Cherry

We are on Day 3 of 5 of my Christmas Cookie Week! That’s right, this week I will be posting 5 of my favorite Christmas Cookie recipes!

Cherry Chip Shortbread Cookies

If you have been following me for a while now, you know fruit and chocolate are kind of my thing. Bananas and chocolate, strawberries and chocolate, cherries and chocolate… you catch my drift. Add in the melt in your mouth buttery flavor of a shortbread cookie, and you have one of the best tasting cookies ever! Not only do they taste amazing but they are also so pretty! I love the pops of red that the cherries add.

If I will give you any advice about this recipe, it is to double the recipe. One batch for you, and one batch for sharing. They really are that good!

INGREDIENTS
1 c butter, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 c maraschino cherries, chopped and patted dry
1 c chocolate chips

STEPS

In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and salt.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until it is all combined.
Gently fold in the cherries and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Lay out a long strip of plastic wrap and form the dough into a log in the middle of it. I try and make my log about 2” in diameter.
Wrap the log up in the saran wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Once the log has firmed up, remove it from the saran wrap and cut it into approximately 1/3” slices.
Place the slices about 1” apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for about 10–12 minutes or until they just start to turn golden around the edges.
Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

My name is Rebecca and I am a cheesecakeaholic. There I said it and boy does it feel good to get it off my chest. I love the stuff. Cherry cheesecake is my kryptonite. I could sit there and eat filling by the spoonful before it even hits the crust. One of the many reasons I LOVE this recipe is that it is quick and effortless to make. There is no need to wait for cooking and cooling for hours like a traditional cheesecake. This takes less than 20 minutes to make and just an hour to cool. It just doesn’t get any easier. The Cool Whip makes it incredibly light and fluffy unlike some of those dense baked cheesecakes. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do! I have a feeling you just wont be able to get enough.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
½ c sugar
½ c butter (1 stick), melted
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
8 oz tub Cool Whip
3 c powdered sugar
2-21 oz cans cherry pie filling (I like the ones with more fruit)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350º.
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine graham crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and stir until well mixed.
Pour the crumb mixture into a greased 9” x 13” baking dish.
Using the backside of a spatula press the mixture down to pack it into a thin crust.
Bake crust in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove crust from oven and allow to cool.
While crust is cooling use a hand mixer and beat together the cream cheese, cool whip, and powdered sugar until smooth.
Spread the cool whip mixture over the crust.
Next, spread the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese base.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Devourer!