Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1/4 cup cornstarch, plus extra for dusting hands
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 24 maraschino cherries, juice removed and dried with paper towel
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar for 3 minutes, until light and airy. Beat in flour, cornstarch, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined. Dough will be very soft.
- Dust your hands with cornstarch, then form dough into 1 1/2 tablespoons balls.
- Place on lined cookie sheets, leaving a little room for spreading. Cookies will not spread much as they bake. Using a cup dipped in cornstarch, press lightly on top of each dough ball to flatten top and create a disk shape.
- In center of each cookie, gently press in a maraschino cherry until 2/3 of cherry is inside cookie dough disk.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until tops look just set. Cookies will not brown but will be done. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a cookie cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Imperial Sugar Insight
Recipe developed for Imperial Sugar by Jessica Segarra @TheNoviceChef.