Cherry Chip Picnic Cookies RECIPE
From Deborah Olson’s farm kitchen

These giant cookies are packed full offresh Bing Cherry and white chocolate chips. Perfect to take along on a picnic.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 to 17 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ¼ cups flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups fresh California Bing Cherries, pitted and halved
1 (12-oz.) package white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, almond extract and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking soda; add to butter mixture and stir until blended. Press Cherries between two layers of paper towels and stir half into the dough with the chocolate chips. Mound rounded tablespoons of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet; press remaining Cherries onto the top. Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until cookies are set in the center and lightly browned. Let cool on rack and store in a container with a loose fitting lid.*

Makes about 20 large cookies.

* Because of the moisture in the Cherries, these cookies should not be stored in a container with a tight fitting lid.

Nutritional analysis per serving (1 cookie):

Calories 344; Protein 4 g; Fat 15 g; 40% Calories from Fat; Carbohydrate 48 g; Cholesterol 50 mg; Fiber 1 g; Sodium 178 mg.