Life’s a Bowl of Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies

Is life like a box of chocolates or a bowl of cherries? It probably depends on who you ask. Forrest Gump said chocolates. Erma Bombeck may have said cherries. I like to think life is like a bowl of chocolate cherry chip cookies.

The Story

For my dad’s birthday, I baked him a batch of these special cookies. Who needs cake and ice cream, when you can make cookies? With chocolate and cherry, these cookies are a birthday wish come true. There is also coffee in them for you coffee lovers.

We celebrated my dad’s birthday with an afternoon of pizza eating, cribbage playing and of course cookie chomping. All and all, it was a sweet day. It was made even sweeter when I beat both my dad and husband in our last game of cribbage! My dad won the first game. It was his birthday party after all. My husband didn’t even have a chance. 🙂

About the Recipe

There are a few things about my dad that inspired this particular recipe, which I adapted from the Coffee Fruit Drops recipe in the 1963 edition of Betty Crocker’s “Cooky Book.”

My dad is…

• A late-night cookie thief: He can often be found late at night sneaking into the cookie jar, so I opted to make him birthday cookies instead of a birthday cake.
• An early morning coffee drinker: No matter how late he is up stealing cookies, he is always up early the next morning drinking a cup of coffee. When I found the Betty Crocker cookie recipe has coffee in it, I knew I had to include coffee in the cookies I made for my dad.
• An all-around sweet guy (with a sweet tooth): The original Betty Crocker recipe calls for apple and raisins. I opted for cherry chips as the “fruit” instead. I also added chocolate pudding mix and chocolate chips because my dad’s favorite candy is chocolate-covered cherries.

The Cast of Characters

These cherry-flavored chips take the lead in this production. I didn’t know cherry chips existed until I saw them in the grocery store last week.

The Play-by-Play

In a saucepan, heat shortening, sugar and coffee, until the shortening is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Then remove the mixture from the heat, and let it cool.

While the coffee mixture is cooling, in a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, pudding mix, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Once the coffee mixture is cool, stir in the vanilla.

Then pour the coffee mixture into the flour mixture.

Keep stirring.

Then get ready to add the cherry and chocolate chips.

Stir the chips into the cookie dough.

Then scoop the dough into balls onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the baking sheet. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

The Footnotes

• About the cherry chips: Can’t find cherry chips? Don’t worry. Check back later this week when I try a different twist on this recipe using dried cherries.
• About the pudding: The pudding mix helps the cookie hold its shape. This is a secret I shared when making my Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookie. Instead of vanilla pudding, I used chocolate pudding this time. Feel free to try any pudding flavor you like.

The Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker’s ”Cooky Book”

Baking Time:
12 minutes

Servings:
3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup strong coffee
½ cup sugar
½ cup shortening
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix (4.9 ounce size)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup cherry chips
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In a saucepan on the stovetop, combine the coffee, sugar and shortening. Heat until the shortening is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 10 minutes.
2. While the coffee mixture cools, in a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate pudding mix, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Once the coffee mixture is cool, add the vanilla to the saucepan.
4. Pour the coffee mixture over the flour mixture. Stir to combine.
5. Stir in the cherry and chocolate chips.
6. Spoon the cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes.
7. Let the cookies rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Have you ever baked with cherry chips?