Chocolate Cherry Beauties
Prep Time: 1 Hr
Cook Time: 10 Min
Yield: Several
Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 - eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 stick butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon rum or rum extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
- maraschino cherries
Directions:
Prepare cookie base. Melt unsweetened chocolate with a double boiler (or the microwave in 30-second increments).
In a separate bowl, add the chocolate to the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated.
Stir in eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt; Mix well. Chill for 2-3 hours.
Remove from refrigerator. Roll dough into one-inch balls. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; this will give you a softer cookie. (Up to 12 minutes if you desire a crispy cookie. I prefer soft. )
Once you have removed the cookies from the oven, immediately use a round-bottomed spoon (a teaspoon measuring spoon is a good size) to smoosh a “well” into the cookies. Allow to cool completely.
Prepare cookie filling. In a medium bowl, mix softened butter (not melted), confectioners’ sugar, and rum extract (or rum) for flavor. You may need a little more than a teaspoon, depending on your taste. Blend using a hand mixer until it is the consistency of piping frosting. Add 1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips, finely chopped.
Using a pastry bag without a tip, pipe a dollop of filling into the well you pressed into the cookie. Add a Maraschino cherry to the top of each cookie. The ones with stems are very pretty.
Melt the remaining milk chocolate chips and drizzle over the cookies. NOTE: The cookies in the main picture are a “bite-sized version” of this cookie. When I rolled the ball, it was about the size of the cherries before baking.
Recipe courtesy of Just A Pinch.com
