Pat the chopped cherries dry with paper towels after draining to avoid adding extra liquid to the dough—this is often emphasized in maraschino cherry cookie recipes.
Almond extract pairs especially well with cherries and is a popular choice in cherry cookie formulas; use vanilla or cherry extract if you prefer a different profile.
For an even pinker dough, some bakers add a tiny drop of red or pink gel food coloring in addition to the cherry juice.
Swap the Hershey Kisses for dark chocolate, white chocolate, or cherry‑flavored kisses to change the flavor while keeping the same
