Cherry Pie Cookie Cups Recipe
Cook Time: 9 Minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 2-3 hours for chilling dough)
Difficulty: Easy
Hello friends! Happy Valentine’s Day, Happy February, and Happy Cherry Month! “While most people enjoy cherries in the middle of summer (hello…there is snow on the ground here), Cherry month (February) serves to remind you that cherries can be enjoyed at any time of year, in any form.” And, “indulging in massive consumption of cherries is the only way to celebrate (daysoftheyear.com). So, are you ready to talk cherries and Cherry Pie Cookie Bites?
These easy to make Cherry Pie Cookie Bites are mini in size, but mighty in flavor! Bursting with fresh juicy cherries, bathed in Cherchies® Cherry Butter Spread, and nestled in a homemade buttery cookie crust, these sweet-tart morsels will tantalize your taste buds and make your head swoon.
Enjoy these little gems for any occasion, any time of the year (even if it is snowing), but make sure to grab some for yourself because these cookie bites will disappear right before your eyes.
Here is how they are made.
Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this tasty recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.
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Ingredients
Cookie ingredients
1 1/2 c. sifted confectioner's sugar
1 c. butter softened to room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon (tsp) vanilla
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) almond extract
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 teaspoon (tsp) cream of tartar
1 teaspoon (tsp) baking soda
Filling Ingredients
1 lb. bag of sweet cherries (pits removed), slice half of them in half
1/2 jar Cherchies® Cherry Butter Spread
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) cornstarch
Icing Ingredients (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon (tsp) lemon juice
Preparations
(If you are short on time, feel free to use refrigerated sugar cookie dough).
In a mixing bowl, cream the sifted powdered sugar and butter. To sift the powdered sugar (or any dry ingredient), as the recipe indicates, all you need is a fine mesh strainer. Simply plop the strainer over a bowl, pour the ingredients into a strainer, and gently shake the ingredients. It looks like a fine powder when finished.
Add egg and flavorings and mix thoroughly.
Stir in dry the rest of dry ingredients until incorporated. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours if going to make into cut out cookies, otherwise chill for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling in the refrigerator, make the cherry filling. Wash and remove pits from cherries. (Yes, it’s the “pits” to remove them…(Ha!), but use this use this tool or something similar to make life a lot easier). Slice half of the cherries in half (you will use the remaining whole cherries as a garnish at the end).
Why buy canned cherry pie filling when you can make your own from scratch in minutes? It really is not hard and the flavor is so much better than canned pie filling.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and Cherchies® Cherry Butter together. Add the cherry butter mixture and the cherries to a small saucepan and heat on low for about 5 minutes, or until cherry butter has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and thick, (similar to the consistency of canned pie filling -5 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside.
For cookie balls- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place into mini muffin tins.
Using a small round measuring spoon, a small melon ball scooper, a mini wooden tart tamper, or your finger, press the dough into the mini muffin tins, creating a cookie cup to hold the filling. Be careful not to go all the way through to the bottom.
Bake the cookie cups for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove the muffin tins briefly (as they will expand while they bake) to tamp down the dough back into shape. Return the cookie cups to the oven to finish cooking for a couple of minutes, until cookie cups are a golden brown.
Remove the muffin tins from the oven and allow to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then gently run a knife along the sides to pop them out. (If you used enough cooking spray, then the cookie cups should come out rather easily). Once cookie cups have briefly cooled, remove them from the pan and carefully fill them with the cherry filling, making sure to add a whole cherry on top for the garnish. For the "icing on top", mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. If the icing is too thick, add a couple of drops of water, until the consistency is thick but smooth and runny. Drizzle the icing over the cherry pie cookie bites with the tines of a fork.
