Christmas Cookies:
Chocolate-Cherry Clusters
These bite-sized Christmas cookies are delicious! They look great on a tray of holiday goodies.
Although these are delicious, they are not the healthiest treats I know! That's why I make them just at Christmas - and make sure that we are eating lots of fruits and vegetables too!
Be sure to save the juice from the maraschino cherry jar - you'll need it later in the recipe.
Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk - not evaporated milk.
If you have a hand mixer, you can use it to mix the ingredients. If not, just use your strong arm and a sturdy spoon.
This makes about 36 cookies.
1 1/2 cups/375 mL whole wheat flour
1/2 cup/125 mL unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup/125 mL butter, softened
1/2 cup/125 mL sugar
1/4 tsp/1 mL baking soda
1/4 tsp/1 mL baking powder
1/4 tsp/1 mL salt
1 egg
1 tsp/5 mL vanilla
10 maraschino cherries, quartered
1 cup/250 mL semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup/125 mL sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Get out some cookie sheets.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour and cocoa powder.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Beat thoroughly (by hand or with a mixer).
Add the egg and vanilla.
Beat thoroughly.
Gradually beat in the flour mixture.
Shape the dough into 1 inch/2 cm balls.
Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches/4 cm apart.
With your thumb, make a dent in the center of each ball.
Put a cherry piece in each dent.
In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk.
Heat over low heat until the chocolate melts.
Stir in 4 tsp/20 mL of the reserved cherry juice.
Spoon about 1/2 tsp/2 mL of the frosting over each cherry.
If the frosting is too thick, thin it with a bit more cherry juice.
Bake until the edges are firm (about 10 minutes).
Cool on cookie sheets for about a minute before transferring to wire racks.
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