I've made a lot of technically difficult, hard to execute, and Le Cordon Bleu-approved desserts. Few come close to how much I love these cookies. The thing is- I don't even like Hot Fudge Sundaes; have never and probably never will order one. I do love the nostalgia, the contrast of fudge and vanilla, and the sweet tiara of a maraschino cherry on top. These cookies capture all of that but they don't melt on ya. Deeply fudgy cookies studded with creamy vanilla-y white chocolate and rolled in crushed waffle cones and honey-roasted peanuts. Oh, and the best part- the surprise of a whole maraschino cherry in the middle.
Large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer
2 sticks (226g) salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (115g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (115g) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
Small bowl
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons (30g) whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso or coffee
Medium bowl
2 1/2 cups (310g) bread flour
3/4 cup (60g) dark cocoa powder
2 tablespoons (20g) milk powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
On the sidelines
Jar of maraschino cherries
1 1/4 cups (200g) white chocolate chips
2/3 cup (100g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, crushed
1/2 cup (about 8) waffle cones, crushed
1
Drain the maraschino cherries from the jar and evenly spread out on a small plate. Freeze the cherries until very firm or frozen. Save the maraschino juice for later.
2
In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugars together very, very, very well. Like ten minutes if you have the time. You have the time.
3
Add the second bowl of eggs, milk, extract, and coffee into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, and beat for another 30 seconds or so.
4
Add in the third bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until combined well.
5
Stir in the white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
6
Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour but preferably overnight. The flavor will be much more profound. I often let my cookie dough rest for three days in the fridge.
7
When ready to portion the cookies, remove the frozen cherries from the freezer and the dough from the fridge. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop a portion of cookie dough from the bowl and push a frozen cherry into the center- sometimes I do two but don't get carried away. Cover the bottom with a little more dough. Continue portioning until the dough is gone.
8
If you have the time, freeze the prepared cookies for another hour or up to several days. When ready to bake, mix together the crushed waffle cones and honey-roasted peanuts on a plate. Brush or dip the cookie tops with the leftover maraschino cherry juice and roll in the toppings.
9
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the portioned cookie dough on the pan leaving a few inches of space in between each cookie.
10
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the cookie is just set in the middle. Remove and let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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