Double Chocolate Cherry Drops

A wonderful chocolate-chocolate chip cookie sparked with chopped maraschino cherries.

• Ready In: 1 hr 12 mins
• Yields: 48 cookies

Ingredients

• COOKIE

• 1  cup butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  large egg
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup  cocoa
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips
• 1⁄2 cup maraschino cherry, well drained, chopped, reserve juice

• FROSTING

• 3 (1 ounce)  baking chocolate squares
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 2 3⁄4 cups powdered sugar
• 5  tablespoons half-and-half
• 1  tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
•  maraschino cherry, halved

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Combine 1 cup butter, brown sugar and sugar large mixer bowl.
3. Add egg and almond extract; continue beating until well mixed.
4. Reduce speed to low.
5. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt beat until well mixed.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and ½ cup cherries by hand drop dough by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
8. Cool completely.
9. Melt chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in 1 quart saucepan over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
10. Combine chocolate mixture and powdered sugar in small bowl.
11. Stir half & half and reserved cherry juice until smooth.
12. If frosting is too thick, stir in additional cherry juice.
13. Frost cooled cookies.
14. Place 1 cherry half in center of each cookie.
15. Let stand on waxed paper until set.