Bourbon Chocolate Cherry Cookies (Gluten Free)

 Think oatmeal raisin cookie ... but with dried cherries soaked in bourbon, dark chocolate chunks, and chewy oatmeal. The amount of flavor in one bite should be illegal. It's ridiculous how delicious these are.

I love a good cookie, but I can tire of the basics. I'm always dreaming up a new way to put a spin on a classic cookie. These Bourbon Chocolate Cherry Cookies are definitely worth making and sharing, if you can stop yourself from eating the whole pan. 

There is nothing wrong with a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie, except that I'm not a huge fan of raisins. I love all other dried fruit, just not raisins. Weird, I know. So, growing up, if my mom made oatmeal raisin cookies for my dad (they are his favorite,) I would always pick out the raisins. This left me with a cinnamon spiced oatmeal cookie, and I was a happy camper. 

These cookies, though, are 1000000x times better. It's a spiced, cinnamon oatmeal cookie loaded with rolled oats, a goooood dark chocolate, and dried cherries soaked in bourbon. Soaking the cherries adds so much extra flavor, and the texture of a soaked cherry in the cookie makes me love it even more.

I remember when I first took a bite of this cookie after creating it, and I just about fell down. They're just so good. Perfect, even. Delicious, balanced, not too sweet, and full of flavor. Using really dark chocolate (I'm talking 70-75%) helps to knock the sweetness down to the perfect level. The bourbon brings out so much flavor from the cherries, and soaking the cherries adds a great texture to the cherry that wasn't there before. It's really just divine. 

As winter approaches, I love making cookies full of warmth, flavor, and a kick of spice. These have a touch of it all. They're just comforting. I can't explain it any other way. The bourbon helps to bring so much warmth and natural sweetness, and the cherries with the dark chocolate - well, that's always phenomenal.

These cookies would be an incredible choice to bring to a cookie swap this holiday season to impress all of your friends. Everyone will be fighting over these cookies after one bite. What else must I say to convince you to try these?

            

Ingredients You'll Need for Bourbon-Soaked Cherry Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate

- Dried Cherries

- Bourbon

- Unsalted Butter, softened

- Light Brown Sugar

- Egg

- Vanilla Extract

- Gluten Free Flour (or All Purpose Flour)

- Xanthan Gum (if your gluten free blend doesn't already contain it)

- Baking Soda

- Salt

- Cinnamon

- Cardamom

- Ginger

- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (gluten free)

- Dark Chocolate, chopped (I used Videri Chocolate Factory's 75% Guatemala Bars)

- Flaky Sea Salt, for topping, optional

Steps to Make Bourbon-Soaked Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

1. In a small bowl, combine the dried cherries with the bourbon and microwave for 1 minute. Stir, let soak for 15 minutes, and drain off the excess liquid. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, continuing to cream until fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Mix into the wet ingredients until incorporated.

5. Add in the oats, bourbon-soaked cherries, and chopped chocolate and stir until just combined. Let dough sit for 5 minutes for the flours to hydrate.

6. Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop or spoon into 1-2 Tablespoon balls. Place on the lined baking sheet and press down the cookie dough mound into more of a disk.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven before they are fully baked, as they will continue to cook as they cool on the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

How to Store Bourbon Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

- Store any unbaked dough in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. Bake directly from frozen, and you may need to cook them 2-3 minutes longer than listed in the directions.

Other Cookie Recipes to Add to Your Baking List

As I mentioned earlier, I love a classic cookie, but I also love a cookie that is a lil edgy and breaks the boundaries a bit.(Hence the cookies I'm sharing with you today.) But, these Blueberry Olive Oil Cookies with pistachios and white chocolate chunks are just the thing to step it up in a whole different direction.

Gluten Free Biscotti are such a delicious treat and so easy to pull together to impress a crowd, and they’re so versatile. Double Chocolate, fruit, coconut, and the list goes on.  I love putting dried blueberries, orange zest, and pistachios in mine, and you can find that (gluten free!!) recipe on my website.

Can't decide between cake or cookies? Well, you don't have to. These Gluten Free Coffee Cake Cookies are the perfect collaboration of the two. They're soft, tender, and packed with flavor. They taste just like coffee cake, even down to the streusel topping. Come on, yuuum! Recipe modifications are available to make gluten free or regular cookies.

Is your oven tied up with other holiday meal prep? These no-bake goodies are disguised as a snack, breakfast, or even dessert - Blueberry White Chocolate Protein Bites are the perfect (gluten free) bite that is packed with protein and nutrition. Not to mention, they're ridiculously delicious and sooo easy to throw together.

A perfect nostalgic cookie that is quick and simple to throw together and will transport you back to childhood. There’s nothing like an Oatmeal Cream Pie, and these are the very best. Plus, these can be made gluten free.

made the recipe?

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