Chocolate-covered cherry cookies

I took dinner over to Kristen's family yesterday; I wanted to make something extra special for dessert, since she can have sugar again. My mom made these coookies a few years ago, and when I bit into one I couldn't believe how incredibly good it was. So I just have to share the recipe. I don't know if it's the exact same one my mom uses, but I got it from my Better Homes and Garden Homemade Cookies cookbook.1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 10 oz jar maraschino cherries

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Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix altogether. Shape dough into 1" balls and place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down center of each ball with your thumb. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

4 tsp reserved cherry juice

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For frosting: in a small saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk; heat over medium heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in cherry juice. Spoon about 1 tsp of frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. If necessary, thin frosting with additional cherry juice. Bake about 10 minutes or until sides are set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. I thought some of the cookies needed more icing, so I added a little bit after they got out. I ran out of cherries for the last few cookies because I doubled the recipe and used marshmallows instead. They were totally yummy too. Next time I might add nuts also.