Buried Cherry Cookies

By bethpanzarella

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 1 1
• 10 ounce jar maraschino cherries (42 to 48)
• 1/2 1/2
• cup butter, softened
• 1 1
• cup sugar
• 1/4 1/4
• teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 1/4
• teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 1/4
• teaspoon salt
• 1 1
• egg
• 1 1/2 1 1/2
• teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 1/2
• cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 1 1/2
• cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1
• cup semisweet chocolate pieces*
• 1/2 1/2
• cup sweetened condensed milk or low-fat sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Halve any large cherries. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball. Place a cherry in each center.

3. For frosting, in a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Stir in 4 teaspoons reserved cherry juice. (If necessary, frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice.) Spoon 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover.

4. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.