Chocolate-Cherry Chews

Full of bright cherry flavor, these chewy chocolate cookies will disappear in no time!

3 dozen cookies

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low carbohydrate | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/4 cup cranberry juice
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
1/2 cup nonfat sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cherry or apple butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
Combine cherries and cranberry juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until all the juice has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine cocoa, condensed milk, cherry (or apple) butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and blended. Add the plumped cherries and 1 2/3 cups of the coconut; stir just until combined.
Using 2 small spoons, form and drop 1-inch mounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining coconut over the cookies. Bake until the cookies are no longer sticky and the coconut has begun to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not overbake; the cookies firm up slightly as they cool.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition

Per cookie: 59 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 17 mg sodium; 61 mg potassium.

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate