Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 24 ounces maraschino cherries, drained and stemmed
• 2 tablespoons cherry juice

Directions

1. 1

   "For the cookies".

2. 2

   Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl and set aside.

3. 3

   With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

4. 4

   Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated, reduce speed to low and add flour mixture.

5. 5

   Mix until dough forms (about 1 minute).

6. 6

   "for the topping".

7. 7

   Heat chocolate and milk in saucepan over low heat until chocolate is melted (about 5 minutes)the mixture should have the consistency of mayonnaise.

8. 8

   Off heat, stir in reserved cherry juice. Cover and keep warm.

9. 9

   "To finish".

10. 10

    Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees.

11. 11

    Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on 2 rimmed baking sheets.

12. 12

    Using thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie and place 1 cherry in each indentation.

13. 13

    Top each cherry with 1 teaspoons of warm chocolate mixture.

14. 14

    Bake until cookies are just set (10-12 minutes) switching and rotating sheets about halfway through baking.

15. 15

    Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

16. 16

    Repeat with remaining dough.