Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cloud Cookies
It is December (how did that happen?) and while that can mean many things to many people, for me it means coming up with lots of gluten free cookie recipes! I like to give out cookies this time of year and I like to have them on hand for people who stop by during the Holidays. And doesn’t it kind of go without saying that, “I like to eat cookies?”
For some reason I always associate the flavors of chocolate and cherries with Christmastime. Maybe it is because my Dad would always buy those chocolate covered cherries this time of year. So I came up with this recipe with Dad in mind – chocolate meringues with a sweet cherry inside. They are crisp on the outside, a bit marshmallowy inside and have a secret surprise hidden at the heart – a maraschino cherry. Along with being naturally gluten free they are also dairy free and, if you worry about such things, fat free!
The way to get the very best meringues is to use egg whites that are room temperature but it is much easier to separate cold eggs so I suggest you separate your eggs first and let them sit while you get out all the rest of your ingredients, prepare the pans and dry up your cherries.
You can serve these cookies two ways – the first (and best in my opinion) is to bake them for a couple hours at low temp (275) then turn off the oven and let them sit for another 20 minutes – no peeking! But as I discovered (due to a very impatient Father who couldn’t wait for his chocolate-cherry fix) you can bake for 30 minutes in a 300 degree oven and eat. They will be a lot less crispy and much more marshmallowy. Which way is better is in hot debate around here.
So let’s hear it for December and for cookies – YAY!!!
Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cloud Cookies
Ingredients
- 24 maraschino cherries
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- If the maraschino cherries have stems, remove them. Dry them well with paper towels and let sit until ready to use.
- Combine the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start the mixer on low then increase the speed to high. When the egg whites are very foamy, add the sugar gradually while the machine is running. Continue to beat the egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks - about 5 minutes. Sift in the cocoa powder, fold gently to get them mixed in a little then mix on high speed with the mixer for a few more seconds until the cocoa powder is incorporated. You may have to scrape the side of the bowl a time or two.
- Spoon 12 heaping tablespoons of the egg white mixture onto each prepared pan (a small #60 ice cream scoop works really well for this). Gently press a cherry into each mound of egg whites. Top with about a teaspoon of egg whites and, using an offset spatula or your fingers, seal the two meringue dollops together.
- Bake for 2 hours, turn off the oven and let the cookies sit for 20 minutes - do not open the oven door. Peel the cookies off the parchment or silicone mats and serve. The cookies are best served within 24 hours, especially if you live in a humid climate. To store, put in an air proof container and keep at room temperature.
- Alternately you can bake the cookies for 30 minutes at 300 degrees, let cool on a baking sheet and serve. They won’t really be crispy, but are still delicious.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.
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I actually like my meringues soft and chewy in the center. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them with a cherry in the middle though. They look great.
Thanks Kalinda!
che meraviglia! complimenti!
grazie mille!
It’s been years since I made meringues. Like the idea of adding cocoa powder. And with the cherry it’s so cute.
Thanks Helene!
I LOVE this idea. They’re so cute, and they must’ve been fun to make too. Your family and friends are so lucky!
Ah, I’m the lucky one Maggie with friends like you!
I’m looking forward to all the cookie recipes!
I love cookie season :)
My mother-in-law loved her meringues the soft way, so I made her lots of them when she had to go gluten-free. We never tried cherries in them, though I think I’d like that a lot. These go in my “cook these soon” stack!
Thanks Pat, Enjoy!
My daughter is the cookie chef of our family. She first introduced me to meringues about 10 years ago, but this is such a wonderful, holiday twist on the cookie. I’m sure they will now be added to our cookie baking list. Thanks
Enjoy, Nancy!
These look so great-can’t wait to make them!
Thank you Laura!
Why is it that you get more creative by the day? Those look amazing. These must be so light and airy!! I have already started baking cookies and now I think I will have to add these to the list.
Thanks Kims! I would love to see what you have going on over at your house!
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Oooh, I don’t know which style I’d prefer at all! Maybe I should try both! :)
Haha you will have to let me know!
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So sad! On my second batch of making these and each time, as soon as I added the cocoa, the mixture went goopy and flat like melted ice cream? Not sure what I am doing wrong, was so excited to make these for Christmas. My husband says they still taste good, but a bit chewy.
So strange! Did you sift the cocoa powder in? I would suggest just folding in the cocoa powder then and not trying to whip with the beaters if thats what you were doing. Also, did you get the eqq whites to stiff peaks first? That’s important. I made several batches and had no problem. Oh, also was it unsweetend cocoa? Should be.
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Is there something wrong with the directions on this recipe????
I’m referring to the baking times.
Hi Carole – depending on how you want the cookie to turn out, either bake them at the low heat for 2 hours for crispier cookies or the higher heat for 1/2 hour for a softer cookie.
I also had trouble with the wording of the baking times. That was the only part of the recipe that wasn’t clear to me. Thanks for the clarification.
Thanks Susan, I am glad it is better now. Enjoy!
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