I made these beauties for a project that I’m not at liberty to discuss. I know that makes me sound like I’m in the FBI for cookies…which I probably am.

The project involved getting two ingredients delivered in the mail and using them in an original recipe. I got the package last week and there were semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips inside. I’m not a big fan of white chocolate but I wanted to use both in a recipe. So I invented these flourless chocolate cookies with cherries.

White chocolate is kind of bland on its own. Honestly, it reminds me of eating a stick of butter. HOWEVER, when combined with a more tart ingredient such as cherries, it takes on a new life. That’s why I decided to add dried sour cherries to the recipe.

These cookies are a little anxiety-provoking while you’re making them for a few reasons. One, even though you know going into it that they’re flourless, it’s still weird not putting flour into cookie dough. Second, the dough takes a couple minutes to resemble anything close to cookie dough. Even then, it looks more like brownie batter.

Don’t despair. If you let the dough sit for a second in the bowl after you mix in the chocolate chips and cherries, it will thicken up slightly. Yeah, it will still be syrupy, but it won’t make you think that you’re about to pour brownie batter onto a flat cookie sheet.

These cookies bake up beautifully. They’re crinkly on top but soft and chewy in the center. They’re crispy around the edges, sweet, and slightly salty because of the sea salt on top. You don’t have to sprinkle sea salt on top when they’re done, but I’d highly recommend it. It balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor in the cookies.

So yeah. Make these cookies as soon as possible. They’re especially good for days when the temperature drops 20 degrees and you’re close to breaking out your winter coat again. Desperate times, and all that.

Here’s a song to get you started on your flourless chocolate cookie journey.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies with Cherries

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried sour cherries, chopped
Maldon sea salt , for sprinkling tops

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the egg whites, egg, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until the batter is uniform. Use a spatula to mix in the chocolate chips and cherries.

Drop a heaping tablespoon of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving two inches between each cookie. Bake in the oven for about 14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are puffed and crinkly.

Remove the sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for about five minutes. Then carefully transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool the rest of the way.

Store the leftover cookies (if there are any) in an airtight container. Enjoy!