Bad Birthday Cake < Good Cherry Cookies

This weekend we celebrated Philip's 24th birthday. Thankfully his day was better than his birthday cake.

I mean don't get me wrong, it served it's purpose. We gathered around it to sing Happy Birthday, it held the candles that Addie helped blow out, and we did eat it.

It was my attempt at a neopolitan birthday cake. The bottom layer chocolate, middle vanilla, and top strawberry.

The bottom of the chocolate layer was burnt, the vanilla layer was dry, but the strawberry layer did come out great! The icing was too runny, and I was out of ingredients to make another batch or try again. 

It didn't look too good, and although it was indeed edible, I still have 2/3 of the cake sitting on the counter, so I don't think it was too good either. 

Oh well. Win some, lose some. 

I'll have to try again on another day. 

But, I did make his favorite cookies last week for him. 

Now THESE are a hit.

It's a double chocolate cookie with dried tart cherries in them.

I made some for Matthew's rehearsal dinner and got a lot of good reviews from them, so I thought I'd attach the recipe since a couple of family members asked for it anyway.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix

1 3/4c flour

1 1/4c cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

2tsp baking soda

in a medium bowl.

Cream 1 1/4c butter (unsalted and room temp) with

1 1/4c sugar. 

Add 2 large eggs and 1/4tsp vanilla extract and beat until combined. 

Add flour mixture slowly until combined. 

Fold in a few handfuls of chocolate chips and  a package of dried tart cherries.

Form big dough balls and place on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake until they are puffed and cracked or about 10 minutes. Let cook on the baking pan for a couple of minutes and then let them finish cooling on a wire rack.

and unlike my cake, these look and taste delicious!