Cherry Bonbon Cookies — Sweet Finish to the Sunday Pot Roast Table

Summer. Kids home. Amber home Thursday. Tyler working at Freightliner. Justin at JBS. Josie finishing 8th grade Friday — middle school over.

Drove Tuesday.

Gayle stable.

Sunday: pot roast. Eight at the table with Eli.

With eight people around the table — kids home, summer officially starting, Josie’s last day of middle school just around the corner — I wanted to end that meal with something that felt as celebratory as the moment. The pot roast fed everyone; the Cherry Bonbon Cookies were the exclamation point. There’s something about a hidden cherry tucked inside a soft, dipped cookie that feels like a little gift, and on a day with that much good gathered in one place, that felt exactly right.

Cherry Bonbon Cookies

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 37 min | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 24 maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
• For the glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
• 1 tablespoon milk (plus more as needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make the dough. Beat softened butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in milk and vanilla. Add flour and salt and stir until a soft, smooth dough forms.
3. Wrap the cherries. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten it in your palm. Place one drained cherry in the center and wrap the dough up and around it, rolling gently into a smooth ball. Repeat with remaining dough and cherries.
4. Bake. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10–12 minutes, until the bottoms are just barely golden and the tops look set but not browned. Do not overbake. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
5. Make the glaze. Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, cherry juice, milk, and almond extract until smooth and pourable. Add a few extra drops of milk if needed to reach a thin, drizzleable consistency.
6. Dip and set. Once cookies are completely cool, dip the tops into the glaze and let the excess drip off. Place back on the wire rack and allow the glaze to set, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 112 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 18mg