Chocolate and cherries always feel a little romantic to me—dark, sweet, and moody. I have a Black Forest tiramisu on the blog, and come cherry season I’m dreaming of a gateau. These cookies carry that same dusky sweetness—tender, and laced with boozy cherries and pockets of molten chocolate. The dried cherries are steeped in kirsch, drained, and folded into the dough with chopped dark chocolate.
Ingredients You’ll Need for These Black Forest Cookies
Flour. Hayden Flour Mills All-Purpose Sonora is my go-to.
Cocoa Powder. Use Dutch-processed for a deep, chocolatey flavor.
Baking Soda. Helps the cookies rise slightly and gives them a light, chewy texture.
Salt. Balances the sweetness.
Sugar. Granulated sugar works perfectly here.
Egg. At room temperature.
Vanilla Extract. Adds a warm, sweet creaminess.
Dark Chocolate. Choose a high-quality chocolate; I love Valrhona 70% feves.
Dried Cherries. I use dried Bing cherries—they’re sweet and plump—but tart cherries lend a more traditional Black Forest flavor.
Kirsch. Cherry liqueur for that classic Black Forest note. The dried cherries are steeped in kirsch for extra depth, but you can shorten the soak to 30 minutes or skip the liqueur if you prefer.
Notes
Chill time. These cookies come together quickly and need just 30 minutes of chill time.
Make-ahead. The dough keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for a few months.
Variation. Substitute ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour with rye flour, skip the kirsch, and add 1 teaspoon instant coffee for a deeper, earthier flavor.
Black Forest Cookies
Description
adapted from Thali Ho
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (235g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (65g) dutch processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
200 g unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (140g) dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup Bing cherries, chopped
2 tablespoons of kirsch
Flaked salt for finishing
Instructions
- Combine the cherries and kirsch in a small bowl and set aside. I like to do this the night before or when I am taking the butter out to soften.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar over medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pause to scrape down the bow. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well to incorporate, then add the vanilla. Set the speed to low and tip in the dry ingredients. Beat until a soft dough has begun to form, then mix in the chocolate and cherries. Chill until firm, one hour or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line two large making sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a small cookie school or tablespoon as a measure, scoop the dough into even portions, about 35g per cookie. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, roasting halfway through. Let the cookies stand on the sheets for a few minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool further.
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