Buried Cherry Cookies

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 (1 ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 12 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 15 mins


• preheat an oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• drain the cherries and reserve about 2 tablespoons of the juice. cut the cherries in half if large, and set aside.
• beat the softened butter, sugar, and baking powder with an electric mixer until thoroughly creamed and fluffy, about 1 minute. beat in the egg and almond extract, then add the flour gradually, and beat just until blended. pinch off pieces of dough, roll into 1-inch balls, place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet, and press your thumb in the center of each cookie to make a dent. place a cherry or cherry half in the indentation of each cookie.
• in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate with the condensed milk, and stir until smooth. add 1 to 2 tablespoons of reserved cherry juice to the mixture, or as needed, to thin the frosting; frosting will be thick. spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry, covering the cherry completely.
• bake the cookies in the preheated oven until firm and slightly browned, about 12 minutes. let cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute before removing, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.