Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ cups Butter, Room Temperature
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 jar (10 Oz.) Maraschino Cherries, Drained, Reserve Juice
• 1 package (6 Oz.) Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• ½ cups Sweetened, Condensed Milk

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and soda. Blend well and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter or margarine and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

Gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; beat until smooth and well blended.

With hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on an ungreased baking sheet. Press down the center of the dough with your thumb.

Drain maraschino cherries well, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center indention of each cookie.

In small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Heat over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the reserved cherry juice.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the topping over each cherry, spreading to cover the cherry. If frosting seems too thick, thin it with a little more cherry juice.

(I was worried that I read my original recipe wrong when it told me to put the frosting on BEFORE baking. I thought it would melt and run all over. But I did as it said and it is amazing! This super-silky chocolate frosting does not melt or run anywhere! It seals in the cherry beautifully!)

Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until done. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!