Description
Giada’s Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies are buttery, tender cookies filled with tart dried cherries and toasted almonds, finished with a sweet vanilla icing. This Italian-inspired recipe offers a perfect balance of flavor and texture, ideal for holidays, tea time, or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
- 1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (for icing)
- 3 tablespoons water, plus extra as needed (for icing)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour and mix on low speed until just blended. Stir in dried cherries and toasted almonds with a wooden spoon.
- Shape the dough into a 12-inch log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice chilled dough into 1/2-inch thick rounds and place them 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden and centers are puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- To make the icing, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water until smooth, adding more water as needed for a drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle icing over cooled cookies and let set for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Toast almonds in a 350°F oven for 6–8 minutes until lightly golden.
- Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
- For a variation, substitute dried cherries with chopped dried apricots and use toasted pine nuts instead of almonds.
- Cookies can be frozen without icing for up to one month.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: Giada's Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies, almond cookies, dried cherry cookies, Italian cookies, slice and bake cookies, vanilla icing cookies, holiday cookies, Giada De Laurentiis cookies