Preheat oven to 375°F
Topping:
In a small bowl, stir the sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.
Cookies:
Stir the first five dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter with a hand mixer, add the sugar and incorporate. Continue to mix, adding eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients adding chopped cherries and almonds last. Mix until blended. Wrap and chill dough for 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle.
Roll balls of dough (about the size of a walnut) and roll in the cinnamon sugar topping to coat. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies puff slightly and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the cookie sheet a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Recipe included in Kitchen Essentials from Calphalon 14" X 16" insulated cookie sheet SKU / UPC.