Chewy Chocolate Chunk-Cherry Cookies

This is a great recipe if you want to make a huge batch of big, chewy cookies. They're packed with chocolate chunks and tart dried cherries. Plus, this may be some of the best cookie dough I've ever licked off of a wooden spoon. I consider that reason enough to whip up a batch.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk-Cherry Cookies

From Martha Stewart Living

Makes about 40 large cookies

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces dried cherries (1 1/2 cups) (note: you can substitute dried cranberries if cherries are hard to find or too expensive)

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Beat in chocolate and cherries. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll dough into 1-3/4 inch balls (about 3 tablespoons each), and arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets set on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks; let cool completely.