Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Great tasting cookie with 1/2 a maraschino cherry in the center of a chocolate cookie, covered in more chocolate. I made these for a Christmas cookie exchange and they were a big hit.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 72 cookies

Ingredients

• 10  ounces maraschino cherries
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  egg
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 cup  cocoa
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1⁄2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Drain cherries, researving 3 t juice. Cut cherries in 1/2.
2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and 2 t cherry juice. Beat until blended. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls on ungreased cookie sheet. Make a thumb imprint in the center of each cookie. Place a cherry half in the indent.
4. In saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and condensed milk. Add 1 t cherry juice to melted chocolate. Cool slightly.
5. Spoon 1 t melted chocolate over cherry half.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.