chocolate-covered cherry cookies

Recipe
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
48 undrained maraschino cherries (about one 10-ounce jar)**
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces (not imitation)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

In a mixing bowl combine flour and cocoa; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until well combined. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased baking sheet. Press down center of each ball with thumb. Drain maraschino cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie. In a small saucepan combine the chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk; heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the frosting over each cherry on unbaked cookie, spreading to cover cherry. (Frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice, if necessary.)

Bake in 350F oven about 10 minutes or until done. Remove to wire rack; cool. Cover and store at room temperature up to 2 days. Makes 48 cookies.

*from Better Homes and Gardens

**If you get Kroger-brand cherries, you may need a larger size. According to the label, there are approximately 50 cherries in a jar. I began placing the cherries on the cookies - I made one sheet, 42, and tossed the rest of the dough because I didn't have time to do a second batch. And I was sad to discover I was 5 or 6 short. So the jar advertising 50 cherries only had 40. Luckily, since it is packed by weight, some of the cherries were extra big and able to be halved and spread around.

***These cookies can be a little tedius to make (the frosting each cookie individually part) but I think are worth it. Like with all cookies I make, I used parchment paper so the chocolate frosting wouldn't get all over the cookie sheet.