Eating More Fruit: Chocolate Cherry Shortbread with Sea Salt

While I’ve wrapped up the “sugar free” chocolate review series, I’m not done helping you out with New Year’s resolutions that you may or may not have made. See, since making the Occoquan Shortbread last month, I’ve had cherries, salt and chocolate on the mind.

Not entirely a bad thing. Cherries are fruit. Didn’t some of you resolve to eat more fruit for the new year? So to help you out (I’m always, always here to help you out), I’ve got a recipe for chocolate shortbread cookies with dried cherries and sea salt.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Dried Cherries and Sea Salt (as adapted from Daydreamer Desserts)

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cream

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Scharffen Berger)

8 ounces dried cherries

Mix the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl; set aside. Whip the butter and sea salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy, then slowly add the powdered sugar followed by the cream. Slowly add the flour-cocoa powder mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Once the dough is fairly uniform, add in the cherries and beat the dough on low speed until the cherries are just incorporated.

Shape the dough into three 1 ½” diameter cylinders, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for at least one hour.

Remove dough from freezer, allow to warm at room temperature for approximately 5 minutes before slicing into 1/4” discs.

Space discs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 325° F for 14-16 minutes.

Talk about a great way to get your fruit in.

Do you like baking with dried cherries?