This decadent, cherry filled, chocolate ganache coated creation originated with a convenient pouch full of sugar cookie mix - just add butter and eggs...simple.
I'm more of a sandwich cookie girl than a stencil cutout, paint the frosting on, kind of baker. So I just used a medium cookie scoop to make a good sandwich size cookie.
I had these plump gorgeous burgundy Bing cherries, the only type I like, that I wanted to do something creative with.
Next my mind went, as it so often does, to chocolate. So a rich buttery cookie with a gooey cherry surprise in the middle, and a dreamy coating of silky dark chocolate was born!
Because I don't do canning with preserves and jams I went to Google for advice. I didn't care to use pectin and have no patience for, freeze the plate testing to see if the jam is set. I also did not need a mass amount to be stored in sterilized mason jars. So I closed my laptop and went to work stirring up a compote the way I've done with figs , cranberries, and strawberries.
One thing I did do differently was not adding water or juice. I chopped the cherries as they were heating up to release juice, then used citrus lime, and lemon along with a little sugar and honey. I was concerned that the jam would be too sweet even though I went low on the sugar but it's not. And the fresh sage adds an unexpected bit of savory earthiness, like the flavor of a good Oregon Pinot Noir or a lighter cabernet sauvignon wine.
Here you have a perfect balance of sweet buttery cookie, draped in chocolate, with a center stream of tangy cherry filling.
You will definitely want to try this recipe. It's a sure way to quench your fruit and chocolate cravings in one sinful cookie, that is if you can eat only one;)
For The Sugar Cookies
I used a Betty Crocker pouch and followed the cookie directions not the roll and cut out version. You can use any sugar cookie even homemade, if you prefer. Allow to cool before assembling.
Ingredients For Cherry Jam
10 ounces sweet Bing cherries
5 fresh sage leaves or 1/4 dried
juice from 1/2 lime
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/8 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons vodka
Directions For Cherry Jam
Rinse and pit cherries. Place in a pan over medium heat. As they heat up use a hand chopper to cut them. This will release enough juice for them to cook until they start to soften, about 10 minutes. Not adding water or juice allows it to thicken more, which is important when using it as a filling. Continue chopping the cherries to your desired size.
Pour in fresh juices, sugar, and honey. Stir. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes until it thickens, stirring occasionally so it does not stick to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add vodka, stir and cook for another 10 minutes. Let sit to cool completely. Refrigerate for a few hours or over night if possible, as this will help it to thicken so it will not ooze out of the cookie.
Ingredients For Chocolate Ganache
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions For Ganache
Add chips and cream into the pan of a double boiler. I just use a sauce pan filled with about an inch or two of water and a bowl placed on top of the sauce pan. Just make sure that the water is not deep enough to touch the bowl or the chocolate will seize up and not turn out correctly. Stir frequently as the chocolate melts. Continue cooking until the chocolate and cream are blended and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature before coating cookies.
To Assemble Cookies
Spread about 1 to 2 teaspoons of jam on half of the cookies. Top each one with the other half of the cookies. Coat the cookies however you prefer. I dipped some halfway with the chocolate. Others I drizzled with a spoon so it would drip down the sides. Then some I dipped only the top side into the ganache. Choose your own method. Allow to set up and enjoy!
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