Cherry Cookie Recipes

Dairy, Oatmeal cakes, Cherries, Strawberries, Wine punches, Green Salads, Sweets of all kinds, honey, oats are the foods of Beltane. Today I am sharing a couple of my favorite cherry cookie recipes.

Cherry Surprise Crinkles
Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained and patted dry with paper toweling
36 Kisses cherry cordials or Kisses dark chocolates
Powdered sugar
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour and the cherries.
Divide dough into 36 equal portions.* Shape each portion into a ball around a Kiss. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Lightly dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar.

Almond-Chocolate-Cherry Cookies
Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ounce sweet baking, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 recipe Chocolate-Almond Glaze
Directions

In a medium bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add sugar, beating until creamy. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined. Stir in melted chocolate. Stir in flour. Fold in dried cherries and almonds. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Transfer to a wire rack; cool.

Chocolate-Almond Glaze
Ingredients
1 ounce of sweet baking, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of fat-free milk
Dash almond extract
Directions
In a small saucepan combine chocolate and butter. Heat and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until smooth.
Drizzle Chocolate-Almond Glaze over cooled cookies. Let stand until glaze is set.