1 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 C Butter, softened
1 C Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Egg
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
48 Maraschino Cherries (about 1 10 ounce jar), undrained.
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and cocoa powder, set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds, beat in sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat in egg & vanilla. Gradually abeat in flour mixture.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press down center of each ball with your thumb, drain cherries, reserving juice. Halve any large cherries. Place a cherry or cherry half in the center of each cookie.
For frosting, in a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and the sweetened condensed milk. Heat until chocolate melts. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry spreading, spreading to cover cherry. (If necessary, thin frosting with additional cherry juice). Bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until edges of cookie are firm. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute, transfer to wire racks. Makes 48 cookies.
