This is one of those cookies you bite into and say, “Oh wow!” They look like chocolate chip cookies but they taste much fancier. With chewy, tart dried cherries and brightness from orange zest, this is one fancy chocolate chip cookie.

These don’t quite look done when you pull them out of the oven. You’re not going to want to take them out at 8-12 minutes but trust me. Do it. They should look slightly browned on the edges but not yet golden in the center. Pull them out of the oven and let them cool completely on the cookie sheet. The heat from the hot cookie sheet finishes the cookies, leaving the chewiest, softest chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever had.

My mom pointed out that sometimes dried cherries are quite large. Mine were about the size of raisins but if yours are larger than that, you may want to chop them into smaller bits so you get cherry in every bite. Yum! Don’t skip the orange zest. It adds so much to this delightfully aromatic cookie.

This recipe makes exactly twenty-four cookies. Don’t make any more or any less. Smaller or larger cookies would call for a different baking time and the timing is crucial with these to ensure a perfectly baked cookie.

Although appropriate to bake year round, this recipe would make a lovely Christmas cookie. There’s just something about chocolate, orange, and cherry that screams holiday!

Orange Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
Zest from half an orange
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries
More sea salt for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and orange zest in a small bowl.
3. Cream together butter and sugars in a stand mixer until combined.
4. Scrape down sides of mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
5. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and cherries.
6. Roll cookie dough into large balls (exactly 24!) and place twelve on two cookie sheets. Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt.
7. Bake for about 8-12 minutes and pull them out when they are browning on the edges but still slightly wet in the middle. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets, about fifteen minutes.

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Happy baking,

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