White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies Recipe

White chocolate cherry shortbread holiday cookies for Christmas!

These pretty little holiday cookies are soft, buttery and festive! Think Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or even the 4th of July. You can easily coordinate the color of the sprinkles to go with whichever holiday you are celebrating. I think the cookies are best after chilling in the fridge or freezer, so make them a day or two in advance with great results!

I’m not usually a huge fan of cherries, but they work really well in this recipe with the flavors of the white chocolate and almond extract. The cookies are sweet, but not too sweet, and the flavor is kind of soft and mild. And I love the crisp texture of the candy coating on the cookies after they are chilled!

You can use white chocolate, candy coating, or almond bark for the dipping part. And maybe white candy coating and almond bark are the same thing? Either way, both work. And they both set nicely and quickly. 😉

A cookie scoop makes evenly portioning the dough really easy! I get exactly 3 dozen cookies when I use my scoop. Then I smooth the dough ball by rolling it briefly in my hands, dip the bottom of a drinking glass in sugar and use it to press the cookie dough flat.

I notice that sometimes the cookies spread just a little bit after baking. When that happens, use a cookie spatula to gently tap the edges of the cookie back into shape while they are still on the cookie sheet. After a few minutes, carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack (this large grid cooling rack is my favorite). Once they are cool, it is on the dipping and sprinkling!

Remember, these cookies are best once they are chilled in the refrigerator or freezer. In fact, I prefer them from the refrigerator on the second day! So make them in advance and enjoy!

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White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Check out these pretty shortbread holiday cookies! Dipped in white chocolate and sprinkles, they are festive and delicious!

5 / 5 ( 1 Review )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 36

Adjust Servings: 36

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• ½ cup maraschino cherries drained (juice reserved) and finely chopped
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup salted butter cold
• 4 ounces white baking chocolate finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 6 ounces white candy coating or almond bark or additional white baking chocolate for dipping
• sprinkles

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Spread the chopped cherries on paper towels to drain well. (Save all of the cherry juice from the jar for later!) Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the chopped cherries and chopped white chocolate. Then stir in the almond extract. Gradually add a tablespoon at a time of the reserved cherry juice and mix with your hands until you are able to form the dough into smooth balls.
• Shape the dough into 1- or 2-inch balls. Place them on cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten the balls to about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. The dough will not spread out much more during baking. I recommend gently tapping in the edges of the flattened cookie, helping to keep the circle shape and reducing the cracks on the edges.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the centers are set. Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dip the cookies in melted white chocolate or white candy coating/almond bark, and roll the edge in sprinkles. Let the chocolate set before stacking or serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They freeze well too!

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g