1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract2 cups all-purpose flour
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (could use semisweet, I used a combination)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (fat-free works just as well!)
1. Preheat oven to 350. Drain cherries, reserving juice, and take the stems off. Count the cherries and if necessary, halve enough to make 36 pieces. In a large bowl beat butter on high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat in egg and almond extract until combined. Beat in flour.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Lightly press thumb into each ball and place a cherry in each center.
3. For frosting: In a small saucepan combine chocolate and sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Stir in 4 tsp of the reserved cherry juice. Spool 1 slightly rounded teaspoon of the frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover. OR what I did was put the frosting in a large ziploc bag and cut off one corner like a piping bag. Squeeze the bag, piping the frosting in a circular motion over each cherry piece to cover.
4. Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are firm and just start to brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen.
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies
3 comments:
holy smokes! these look divine! i will definitely have to try these. hopefully it will be easy to find the marachino cherries. i haven't ever bought them before either! ha!
did i tell you i changed my blog address??
roomfornello.blogspot.com
you will have to check it out. :)
those look so festive. and since i myself just did the marachino cherry hunt yesterday, i'm ready for them!
i have not been baking girl yet - haven't gotten into it - but i'm doing candy today and some cookies tomorrow. well, or maybe thursday. i'll report on my successes then.
I was lucky enough to get some samples and I liked them- the baked chocolate topping was better than a sweet frosting. I think I would put in more than one cherry, though- I ate mine on the first bite and was wishing for more without having to start in on the next cookie.
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