Make-It-Monday Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

I spent all day Saturday making cookies with my mom, aunt and brother. We ended up making 70 dozen cookies. I know it sounds crazy but we split them up between all of us and we use them as gifts or to share with our family and friends. I am going to post numerous recipes over the next couple of days and Stephanie will be posting some candy ones. The one I am posting today is called Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies. I had made them once before and loved them! They are a little time consuming but well worth the effort. I got the recipe from Taste of Home.
Taste of Home
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 48 maraschino cherries, blotted dry
• FROSTING:
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 to 3 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice

• In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla.
• Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture (batter will be very firm). Shape into 48 balls, about 1 in. round, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Push one cherry halfway into each ball.
• For frosting, melt chocolate chips in milk in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add cherry juice and stir until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry (the frosting will spread over cookie during baking).

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 4 dozen.