You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?
It is the second day of the #12DaysOfChristmas series and do I ever have the perfect holiday cookie for you! These chocolate and cherry cookies are named after Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the true star and hero of Christmas.
A Cheery Chocolate & Cherry Combination
In my household, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without these Chocolate Rudolph Cookies. My mom got this recipe from a Christmas Cookie magazine in the 90’s and she has been making them ever since. These fudgy chocolate cookies have a chewy, brownie-like base and are adorned with bright Maraschino cherries (to look like Rudolph’s nose). The richness of the cocoa combined with the sweetness of the Maraschino cherry is an unexpected flavor combination for the holiday season, but it works so well!
Whether you make them for your friends and family, or leave them out for Santa, these cookies are sure to go down in history! 😉
Get the Recipe!
Chocolate Rudolph Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 jar Maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl until incorporated. Add the milk, egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
- Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out the dough and roll into balls the size of a golf ball. Place the dough ball onto a parchment lined baking tray and repeat for the remaining dough. Ensure that the dough balls are placed at least 5 centimeters apart as they do spread and rise while baking.
- Using your thumb, press into the center of the dough balls, creating a thumbprint. Drain the cherries and place one cherry in the center of each thumb print.
- Bake for 12 minutes in the oven. Once baked, remove the cookies from the pan and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. These cookies can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 4 days or can be frozen after they are baked.
These look so well made and delicious!
Thank you! They are so delicious that I ate the whole batch in 3 days! Try them out 🙂
I will definitely experiment :))