This recipe requires that you chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking.

• It's critical that you measure the flour accurately.

  The most accurate way to measure flour is to use a kitchen scale, weighing it in grams. 

  If you don’t have a kitchen scale, follow this method. 

  Aerate the flour with a whisk or spoon. Flour becomes heavy and compact as it sits. Aerating is the same as fluffing the flour, but not the same as sifting it. Do not sift the flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it. Use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into the measuring cup. Do not tap the cup against the counter, as this will compact the flour. Use the back of a butter knife to level off the excess.
• Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Set aside on a paper towel to absorb excess juice.
  1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries
• Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 
• In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, Set aside. 
  3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt
• In a larger mixing bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. You want this mixture to be fluffy and pale in color.
  1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, 1¼ cups (267g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beat for 30 seconds.
  2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp almond extract
• Add in the pink gel food coloring until you reach your desired color and mix. I recommend gel food coloring as this will help give the cookies a deep pink color.
  ¼ tsp pink gel food coloring
• Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed. The dough will be thick.
• Add in the finely chopped cherries and 1 cup of chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
  2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries
• Use a #40 cookie scoop to form 2 Tbsp sized cookie dough balls. Press the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and additional chopped cherries on the outside of the dough balls. Place the cookies on the baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. This will help them maintain their shape.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. After freezing, place about 6-8 cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Be sure not to over bake or the cookies will loose their pink color and turn brown. The cookies will look slightly underbaked when you pull them out, but they will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet. Pulling them out at the right time will help keep them chewy!
• Once the cookies come out of the oven, I like to add extra chocolate chips to any spots that look sparse. I do not recommend storing these cookies covered because they will become soft from the added moisture from the cherries.