1-Begin by preheating your oven to 175°C (350°F) and lining your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until they’re well combined. This step ensures your dry mix is even and ready to go.

2-Next, in a large bowl or with a stand mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy that takes about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing well after each to keep the dough smooth, then stir in the vanilla extract for that extra flavor pop.

3-Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the wet ones on low speed until you get a thick dough. Fold in the chopped bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate chunks if you’re using them, and dried cherries gently so they spread out evenly. It’s like hiding treasures in your dough!

4-Using a 3-tablespoon scoop or a spoon, drop portions of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 5 cm (2 inches) apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops look puffed and cracked. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before moving them to wire racks.

5-These cookies taste amazing warm or at room temperature, with that juicy cherry burst in every bite. For adaptations, like gluten-free versions, swap the flour at the mixing step. A hand mixer works fine here, though a stand mixer helps with thicker dough. This yields about 24 cookies, ready in roughly 32 minutes total.