Cherry-Topped Chocolate Tassies
Prep Time: 25 Minutes Start to Finish: 1 hour 10 minutes
Makes: 2 dozen cookies Calories Per Cookie: 110
What better thing to do on a snow day then bake up some cookies. And since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I decided to whip up some of these quick and easy Cherry-Topped Chocolate Tassies.
Cherries and chocolate has been a well known combination since the olden days (well as long as I can remember) so it makes sense that Betty Crocker would make a cookie that marries these two together once again. The crust is light and buttery and reminds me of a flaky pastry-like dough. It is a nice balance to the sweetness of the chocolate and cherry.
One of the great things about this recipe is the simplicity of it all, including the limited ingredient list:
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Flour
- Salt
- Miniature Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- Large Maraschino Cherries
I had almost all of these ingredients, minus the cherries, which made shopping quick and easy. So once I got back from the store, I jumped right into it.
The recipe was easy to follow, but here are some tips I came up with to help you along the way:
~The recipe calls for 1 package (3oz) cream cheese. Be aware - most packages of cream cheese are 8 oz each, which makes this measurement a bit confusing. That's ok! When you open up the cream cheese there should be indicators on the wrapper for each ounce. Just cuz off 3, and save the rest of the cream cheese for your morning bagel.
~The ingredients call for the butter and cream cheese to be softened. If you are like me, and don't prepare hours in advance, then you probably haven't set them out at room temperature to achieve optimal consistency. Have no fear! Just cut up the butter into tablespoon blocks, and the cream cheese into smaller pieces. Microwave at 10 second intervals until you get a softer consistency. Do your best to not melt the ingredients. This would change the outcome of your batter.
~ You have to shape the dough into balls to place in the mini muffin tins. I made all of the balls first, filling the tins so I knew if I had extra batter or vice versa. This way you can adjust any balls to make them all even. Press your finger into the middle of each ball and then lightly press the edges up to create the shell.
~Make sure to use a slotted spoon or fork when taking cherries out of the jar to discard the liquid. No one wants a soggy tassie!
~The recipe says to bake for 13-16 minutes. I baked mine for 17. Always start with the lowest amount of time suggested as each oven varies. They are done when the edges start to be come golden brown.
~You have the option to sprinkle the edges of the tassies with powdered sugar while they are still warm. Since it's a snow day, I thought the whole cookie deserved a sprinkling!
I loved how the miniature chocolate chips didn't melt and actually maintained their shape. This gave the tassie a more decorative look which is perfect for the holiday!
So get baking! And let me know how yours turn out in the comments below.
<3 P.S.
I used a small paring knife to remove the tassies from the mini muffin tins. The sharp, thin edge was perfect for removal and made them pop right out!