Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies Ingredients: To Cook:
1 10 oz jar maraschino cherries (42 to 48)
2 sticks margarine (softened)
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1) Drain cherries, reserving juice. Halve any large cherries.
Beat softened margarine with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl.
Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
Beat in cocoa powder and as much 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 one cherry into the center of each ball.
3) For frosting, in a small saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts.
Stir in 4 teaspoons reserved cherry juice.
Spoon 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover. (If necessary, frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice).
4) Bake in a 350 degree oven about 10 minutes or until edges are firm.
Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.
