Nothing signaled the upcoming Christmas season to me as a child like these cookies did. There was not a year that passed that my mom didn’t make a batch multiple batches of these delicious cookies. And from the first year that I lived on my own to this very day I continue the tradition. Partly because it reminds me of such lovely memories, but mostly because these cookies are really just so very yummy that I need another excuse to eat a ridiculous amount of them. I’m doing it for memories, people! 🙂 They are a little time consuming, but it is a very straightforward recipe that you will adore. They are light and fluffy and have a scrumptious almond flavor that marries with the chocolate and cherry and is just a perfect taste explosion in your mouth. You should definitely make these, but be warned: you cannot eat just one!
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 10 oz jar maraschino cherries
- 6 oz pkg (1cup) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tbs cherry liquid
- Reserve ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining sweetened condensed milk, butter, almond extract and egg: beat well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt: blend well. Refrigerate dough for 1 to 2 hours.
- Drain cherries, reserving 1 Tbs cherry liquid.
- Heat oven to 350*. Shape dough into 1¼ inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Use your thumb to make an imprint in the center of each ball. Place 1 cherry in each imprint. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, combine reserved ½ cup sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Cook over medium heat until chocolate chips are melted, stirring constantly. Once melted, stir in reserved cherry liquid. Spoon 1 tsp chocolate mixture over each cherry on cookie.
- Store in an airtight container.
Here are my cookies with a thumbprint full of cherries! Yum!
I have already made these cookies once this year, but my kiddos are insistent that these are the cookies that Santa will want us to set out for him on Christmas Eve. And truth be told, I can’t wait to make (and eat) them again!
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