Fudgey Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

By kdet

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons almond extract
• 48 maraschino cherries
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Beat well.
Gradually add flour mixture and beat until blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (It takes a lot of restraint for me to make them this small, but you really can get 48 cookies out the recipe.)
With a little oil, butter or cooking spray on your finger, press down in the center of all the dough balls.
Prepare the frosting. In a small saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk and chocolate pieces until melted and combined. Stir in 4 teaspoons of maraschino cherry juice.
Spoon some frosting into the thumbprint of each cookie. Top with a cherry.
Bake 8-10 minutes.