Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

What a great cookie idea don't you think? I made these over Christmas to give away to friends and everyone enjoyed them. They were fun and something different to make. I couldn't decide which cookie was cuter. Cherry covered in chocolate or uncovered?

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
adapted from Allrecipes.com via Jamie Carpenter

Makes 24 cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg *add an extra egg for a chewy cookie
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon reserved cherry juice, *or 1/2 tsp cherry extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, regular or dark

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, reserve the juice
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add egg, cherry juice/or extract and vanilla extract and beat well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until smooth. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press center of each ball with thumb. Drain cherries and reserve juice. Place a cherry in indentation of each cookie ball. Bake in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes. 
  
  
  In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 1 1/2 Tablespoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. Add more cherry juice to chocolate frosting to get the right consistency if needed.
  
  
  

Rudolph Reindeer Bars

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon these. All I know is I made them the very next day I found them, and I am so glad I did. I love me some maraschino, chocolate, and coconut. They were super yummy, and kinda Christmas looking with the white coconut and red maraschino cherries, so I decided to rename them Rudolph Bars. :) If you have the patience, I thought these were best when chilled. But you may serve them any way you want!

Rudolph Reindeer Bars
adapted from Eagle Brand's Cherry Magic Cookie Bars

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
• 1 (14 oz) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 6 oz. (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries, drained, patted dry and chopped *I think next time I'll just slice them in half.
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees for dark pans, 325 degrees for glass baking pan. Spray 9x13 dish with non stick spray. In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. **Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. After milk has been poured evenly over the graham crackers, begin to layer your chocolate chips, cherries and coconut evenly. Press down firmly with a fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Store at room temperature or in refrigerator.
• 
  
• **I poured half of the milk onto the crust, then poured the rest of the milk on after all the other ingredients, to help bind them. (Some people commented that they fell apart if you pour the milk on first.) If you do pour the whole can on the crust, just be sure to press firmly with a fork after, as it instructs. Also, do not attempt to smooth the condensed milk evenly over the graham cracker layer, it is very tempting to do so. It will lift up the graham cracker crust and create a mess!

Maraschino Cherries