Recipe of the Week: Buried Cherry Cookies

I recently made several dozen cookies for a wedding and I thought I'd post the recipe for this delightful, fool-proof cookie.There's three steps: 1) Make the chocolate cookie dough in mixer and roll into small balls.

2) Push a maraschino cherry into the center of each ball.
3) Spoon on a teaspoon of frosting to cover the cherry.

Aren't they pretty?

I think they might be a bit prettier before they are baked, but the final, baked cookie is a lovely reward.

What I liked about this recipe: 1) The dough was seriously easy to roll. So many recipes ask you to do something that is near to impossible. This dough is nice and stiff and dry, not sticky. Easy.

2) The frosting is 2 ingredients. Even though there is dirtied dishes involved in putting these together, overall I think they are easy to do.

3) They're special. I think they make a nice special occasion cookie. I love the hidden fruit in the center.

Recipe: Buried Cherry Cookies (From the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)

1 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries (42-48)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

11/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 6 oz. package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Halve any large cherries. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of the bowl. 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 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 the chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover. (Frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice if necessary.)

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven 10 minutes or until the edges are firm. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 42-48 cookies.