$pent Millennial

One of my favorite hobbies is baking! I especially enjoy playing around with flavors and ingredients to make up my own recipes. I don’t do it as much as I once did, largely thanks to our cramped, inconvenient apartment kitchen, but with fall weather- and flavors- here, it is time to break out the ingredients and get my hands sticky. 

This past weekend I did a baking goods stock up, put on Lifetime live streaming and made the first fall treat of the season! Cookies are a go-to for me due to relatively quick and easy prep and bake time. 

These Cherry-Almond Cookies- in my humble opinion- make for a great fall weekend treat, go great with morning coffee (adulting means cookies for breakfast-sometimes), and even make for a great alternative sweet treat for Thanksgiving dessert. 

Give them a try and let me know what you think! 

Recipe for Cherry-Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½-2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 8 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 ½ cups of almond slices
• ½ cup dried cherries

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and softened butter. Cream them together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2. Add Flavorings & Eggs: Add vanilla extract and almond extract to the sugar-butter mixture. Crack in the eggs and egg yolk, and mix until well combined.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients:In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
4. Incorporate the Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture, folding them together. Mix until well incorporated.
5. Add Almonds and Cherries: Gently fold in the almond slices and dried cherries until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
6. Chill the Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 30-60 minutes. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
7. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
8. Form and Space the Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop rounded portions of dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure to space them out to allow room for spreading as they bake.
9. Bake: Place the baking tray in the preheated oven and bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
10. Cool and Enjoy: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your delicious Almond Cherry Cookies!

Note: These cookies are best stored in an airtight container to maintain their freshness. They should stay delicious for up to a week, but they rarely last that long!