Chocolate Covered Cherry Delights recipe

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder
3 cups flour
20 ounces maraschino cherries (no stems)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter and mix in sugar. Let mixture cool and add eggs. Mix thoroughly and add baking
powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract and cocoa, stirring after each addition. Add flour and mix well (dough will be stiff and a bit crumbly).

Drain cherries, reserving juice.

Pat dough into walnut-size balls. Place on greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Press down in center with thumb to make a deep indentation. Place one cherry in each indentation.

In a double boiler, combine the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk. Heat on low until the chips are melted (can also do in the microwave, but be careful not to overdo).

Add approximately 1/8 cup of the reserved cherry juice and stir to a thick sauce. If sauce is too thick, add more juice in small increments (test it with a teaspoon; if it doesn't glob off, it's too thick).

Spoon the sauce over the center of each cookie just enough to cover each cherry. Make sure it doesn't drip down the sides.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to rack to finish cooling.