CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

 CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

30 cookies

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cherry juice (from maraschino cherry jar)
30–36 jarred maraschino cherries
white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon cherry juice (from maraschino cherry jar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and both sugars with mixer. Add eggs one at a time and mix in.
Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup dry mixture to butter mixture at a time. Blending after each addition just until combined and scraping side of mixer bowl as needed. Add vanilla and 2 teaspoons cherry juice and mix just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Butter hands and roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Using thumb press small indentation in center of cookie and place maraschino cherry in hole.
Bake for 10 minutes.

Melt white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk on low. When melted add 1 tablespoon cherry juice. Drizzle over cooled cookies.