Disney Eats: Celebrate National Cherry Day With Riviera Signature Cookie Recipe

July 16 is National Cherry Day! Cherries are one of my favorite fruits … and one of my favorite dessert ingredients. To celebrate, we’re sharing a delicious Riviera Signature Cookie from Primo Piatto at Disney’s Riviera Resort, which contains dried cherries!

This was my first time testing (and eating) cookies with cherries. I’ve had plenty of cherry pies, cakes, cobblers, and crisps, but never cookies. I was definitely missing out on a great cookie ingredient. Since these cookies use dried cherries, we can enjoy them all year long.

In addition to dried cherries, these cookies are filled with semi-sweet chocolate, oats, molasses, walnuts, and pistachios. The ingredients come together to create a delicious cookie full of amazing flavors and textures. Finishing the cookies with sea salt flakes gives these cookies the perfect balance between salty and sweet.

Now that I’ve talked it up, here’s the recipe. This recipe makes a nice thick, soft cookie. See the cook’s note if you enjoy a thinner, crispier cookie. And don’t forget to download the recipe PDF too!

RIVIERA SIGNATURE COOKIE
Primo Piatto, Disney’s Riviera Resort
Makes 18-24 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/4 cup oats, ground
• 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, ground
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Sea salt flakes, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or
   parchment paper; set aside.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl
   Stir in ground oats and ground chocolate chips; set aside.
3. Cream butter, both sugars, and molasses in the bowl of an electric mixer
   fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low speed until fully incorporated.
   Add vanilla and beat, scraping the bowl as needed, for 1 minute.
5. Add 1/3 of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just mixed. Continue
   with remaining flour. Add walnuts, pistachios, dried cherries, and mini
   chocolate chips and mix on low speed until fully incorporated into dough.
6. Place six (1/4 cup) balls of dough on baking sheet. Flatten slightly and
   top with desired amount of sea salt flakes.
7. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks.
8. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cook’s Note: For a thinner, crispier cookie, preheat oven to 375°F and bake for 7 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake 3 additional minutes.

Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby.
This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version.