36 servings

30 min prep

15 – 20 min cook

Belgian Cherry Cakes

1 cup of Unsalted Butter, softened

½ cup of Confectioners’ Sugar

½ teaspoon of Almond Extract

2 cups of All-Purpose Flour

pinch of Salt

1 jar of Maraschino Cherries

1 cup of Powdered Sugar

2 – 3 teaspoons of Milk

1½ teaspoons of Maraschino Syrup

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set 36 cherries on a napkin to dry. Combine butter, sugar, and almond extract in a bowl. Beat at medium speed until fluffy.
  2. Combine butter, sugar, and almond extract in a bowl. Beat at medium speed until fluffy.
  3. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour and salt. Mix until well blended.
  4. Measure dough into roughly 1 tablespoon portions, shape around each cherry, and roll into a ball.
  5. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
  6. Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Dip cookies in glaze, top with small piece of cherry, and allow them to set.

These small pink morsels of delight are a staple in our family at the holidays and my absolute favourite Christmas treat. Oddly, I have no idea why I call these Belgian Cherry Cakes. My family is indeed Belgian, and there is a cake-ish pastry called a "Belgian Bun" that is similarly flavoured (although naturally the same pastry is actually called a "Couque Suisse" in Belgium itself), but no similar cookie appears to exist and no one else in my family uses this name for them! Just one of those things my odd little brain came up with, I suppose. Whatever you decide to call them, I promise they won't disappoint.