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Hannah Swensen’s Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights: A Sweet Murder Mystery Treat

Welcome back to Well-Read Wednesday, fellow mystery and baking enthusiasts! Today, we’re diving into another delectable recipe from Joanne Fluke’s “Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder” – the irresistible Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights.

These cookies are a perfect blend of rich chocolate and sweet cherries, making them a standout treat in Hannah’s Lake Eden bakery. In the novel, these indulgent cookies serve as both a customer favorite and a welcome distraction from murder investigations!

Last week, I tried our murder-solving baker’s recipe for Black & Whites. To read more, pop over to my blog post Well-Read Wednesday – Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder – Part 3.

Recipe Summary

Hannah’s recipes typically serve large groups, and true to the books, a crowd always appears whenever a fresh batch comes out of the oven!

These scrumptious recipes from The Cookie Jar have caught my eye, and I’ll be testing several in the coming weeks. I’ve scaled down each recipe to serve one or two people and adjusted some ingredients to match my taste. Let me know what you think!

• Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
• Regency Ginger Crisps
• Black and Whites
• Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights
• Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
• Lovely Lemon Bar Cookies

You can find the original recipes in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Joanne Fluke’s bestselling culinary capers, a deluxe collector’s edition was released February 25, 2025.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 egg (beat one egg and use half)
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)
• 3/4 cup flour (not sifted)
• 1/2 jar (5-oz.) maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (3 oz.–1 cup) (I used dark chocolate chips)
• 2 – 3 tablespoons condensed sweetened milk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
• Melt butter and mix in sugar. Let mixture cool and add beaten half egg. Mix thoroughly and then add baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cocoa, stirring after each addition. Add flour and mix well. (Dough will be stiff and a bit crumbly.)
• Drain cherries and remove stems, reserving juice.
• Pat dough into walnut-sized balls with your fingers. Place on a greased cookie sheet, about 6 to a standard sheet. Press down in center with thumb to make a deep indentation. Place one cherry in each indentation.
• In a saucepan over simmering water (double boiler), combine the chocolate chips and the condensed milk. Heat on low until chips are melted.
• Add about 1-2 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice and stir to a thick sauce. If sauce is too thick, add more juice in small increments.
• Spoon sauce over the center of each cookie just enough to cover the cherry. Make sure it doesn’t drip down the sides.
• Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to rack to finish cooling.

Yield: 1 to 1 1/2 dozen

Trivia

• A plate of these should be in every psychiatrist’s office –two Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights will lift anyone out of a depression.

Baking Tips

For the best results, remember to:

• Pat the maraschino cherries completely dry before using
• Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before dipping
• Let cookies cool completely before storing

Recipe Review

These cookies are a pure delight! The semi-sweet dark chocolate combines perfectly with the juicy cherries, creating an ideal balance of bitter-sweet and sweet flavors. These cookies have definitely earned a spot on my “make again” list!

Whether you’re a mystery fan, a baking enthusiast, or both, these Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights are sure to delight. They’re the perfect accompaniment to your cozy mystery reading sessions!

Happy baking, mystery lovers! Stay tuned for next week’s Well-Read Wednesday, where we’ll explore another literary-inspired – Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies.

Let me know what you think about the book and the Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!

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Yield: 1 - 1 1/2 dozen

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights

Print

These cookies are a perfect blend of rich chocolate and sweet cherries, making them a standout treat.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 egg (beat one egg and use half)
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)
• 3/4 cup flour (not sifted)
• 1/2 jar (5-oz.) maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (3 oz.–1 cup) (I used dark chocolate chips)
• 2 – 3 tablespoons condensed sweetened milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
2. Melt butter and mix in sugar. Let mixture cool and add beaten half egg. Mix thoroughly and then add baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cocoa, stirring after each addition. Add flour and mix well. (Dough will be stiff and a bit crumbly.)
3. Drain cherries and remove stems, reserving juice.
4. Pat dough into walnut-sized balls with your fingers. Place on a greased cookie sheet, about 6 to a standard sheet. Press down in center with thumb to make a deep indentation. Place one cherry in each indentation.
5. In a saucepan over simmering water (double boiler), combine the chocolate chips and the condensed milk. Heat on low until chips are melted.
6. Add about 1-2 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice and stir to a thick sauce. If sauce is too thick, add more juice in small increments.
7. Spoon sauce over the center of each cookie just enough to cover the cherry. Make sure it doesn't drip down the sides.
8. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Trivia

• A plate of these should be in every psychiatrist's office -- two Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights will lift anyone out of a depression.

Baking Tips

For the best results, remember to:

• Pat the maraschino cherries completely dry before using
• Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before dipping
• Let cookies cool completely before storing