Grandma's Cherry Bells
A time-honored recipe that keeps on delivering cheer
This recipe appeared in the Detroit News's weekly food column sometime in the 1950s. In my digging to find that original article, I've learned that the recipe was a crowdsourced "reader exchange" recipe that was clipped by home bakers during this era. It was so popular that it was shared several times between the 50s and 60s in the newspaper. My grandma Klein, a.k.a. Grandma Willy, tried it one year, and that sparked our annual Cherry Bell tradition in the Koerber family. It's a tradition that has now spanned three generations.
COOKIE INGREDIENTS
- 3 c. Flour
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. soda
- 1/2 t. ginger
- 1/4 c. dark corn syrup
- 1/2 t. instant coffee grounds
- 1 c. margarine, softened (I've used butter before as well, but it just didn't taste as good)
- 1-1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1T. heavy cream
FILLING
- 1/3 c. brown sugar
- 1 T. butter, melted
- 3 T. maraschino cherry juice
- Several maraschino cherries either quartered or halved
- 1-1/2 c. crushed walnuts
Directions
In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar, beating in the corn syrup, egg, and cream. Combine dry ingredients, gradually adding them to the mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for a few hours to set. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to roughly a 3/8" thickness, cutting out with a 2-1/2" cookie cutter. In a pinch, I've also used a glass. Place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet. In a bowl, combine all filling ingredients except for the chopped cherries. Set those aside. Place 1/2 teaspoon of the nut mixture in the center of the cookie. Shape the cookie into a bell shape by folding the top edges together. Place a piece of cut cherry at the open end of the cookie to serve as the bell clapper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool.
