Black Forest Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies

Oenophilly's Note:

An excellent cookie for chocolate and cherry lovers alike. As you may know, the appellation 'Black Forest' does in fact refer to a forest of that name found in Germany, where the Black Forest Gateau was believed to have originated. Since then chefs have used their imagination to apply the combination of chocolate and tart cherries, customarily soaked in Kirschwasser (also credited to that region, where tart morello cherries grow) to a number of different desserts and delicacies. That being said, this delicious cookie is very adaptable to suit different tastes. It can be made without the chocolate (just add an extra 1/2 cup or so of cherries), extra chocolatey (add 2/3 cup unsw cocoa powder to the batter with the flour), kid friendly (soak the cherries in juice or a simply syrup), or easily halved. These cookies are very moist and chewy, which I love, but if you prefer crunchier cookies you may want to use a different batter base. This recipe is adapted from Dede Wilson's "Chocolate Chip Cookies". Cook time includes chill time. Cheers!

• Total Time: 2 hrs 12 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 50

Yield: 50.0 cookies

• 1 2⁄3; cups dried tart cherries , coarsely chopped
• ½ cup kirsch (it will be sweeter with the liqueur) or ½ cup cherry flavored liqueur (it will be sweeter with the liqueur)
• 2 2⁄3; cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature (2 sticks)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup light brown sugar , packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (15 oz)

Directions:

1. Microwave the cherries and Kirsch on high for about a minute. Let them sit for 15 minutes to plump the cherries and cool down.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat (using the flat paddle attachment) butter until creamy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add sugars gradually, beating until light and fluffly, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
5. Beat in extracts and then eggs.
6. Turn the mixer down to low and add the flour in three increments, scraping down the bowl frequently. Do not overmix - I usually turn off the mixer and hand mix the last remains.
7. Stir in the chocolate chunks, the cooled cherries, and up to 1 tbsp of the kirsch (discard, or drink, the rest!).
8. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 2 hours
9. Preheat the oven to 375°F Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease them.
10. Drop chilled dough by rounded tablespoon at 2 inch intervals (they spread out a good bit) onto the sheets.
11. Bake for about 12 minutes (give or take based on your 'chewiness' preference), or until the edges and tops turn golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool for several minutes, and enjoy!