Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These cookies are awesome, soft, and brownie-like. They're great straight from the oven, but the cherry flavor really intensifies are a day or two!

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

** 1 (10 - 16 oz) jar maraschino cherries (and reserve your cherry juice!!)

1/4 c. sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. chocolate chips

**I used a 10 oz jar of cherries, and was short 8. If you cut the cherries in half, or make your cookies larger, a 10 oz jar will be fine - - but if you want a whole cherry in each cookie (and make them the same size I did), you'll need a bigger jar

Cream together your sugars and softened butter. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture a little bit at a time, until it's all combined. It should be thick, but not too sticky.

If you don't have a cookie scoop, roll the dough into balls (about 1 inch each) and set them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. If the dough is too sticky, let it chill for awhile until it's easier to handle.

If you have a small cookie scoop - Portion out the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Put them in the fridge for a bit to firm up.

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After they've set some, press a small scoop or spoon (I just used my teaspoon) into the middle to create a little bowl. Be gentle so the cookies don't crack.

In a glass bowl, add 1/2 c. chocolate chips, 1/4 c. sweetened condensed milk, and 2 tbsp of cherry juice.

Microwave in short intervals until completely melted and smooth.

Add a cherry to the center of each cookie. Now, cover the cherry with about 1 tsp of the frosting. Careful to keep the frosting in the "bowl" you created - burnt frosting on the cookie sheet is not delicious.

YES! The frosting goes on the cookies BEFORE baking them!

Preheat your oven to 350°F

Bake for 10 minutes

Let them rest on the cookie sheet a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Now, the tough decision. Eat them now? Or wait?

Right now, these will taste like really good chocolate cookies with a cherry in them. Which... is still pretty awesome.

BUT!

If you put these in a bag or other airtight container, and wait a day or two - the cherry flavor really comes through in the frosting.

These freeze really well! And mine were still pretty soft when frozen, so you can eat them straight from the freezer.