Chocolate Covered Cherry cookies

These are a little work, but are always a big hit. Not hard to do, just takes time cause of all the steps. Yummy!

7-9 min. . 375’F

DOUGH
½ cup sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
1-teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa

FILLING
¼ cup butter
1-tablespoon brandy or ½ teaspoon brandy extract
1 cup powered sugar
TOPPING
36 maraschino cherry (drained on paper towel)
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon oil

In large bowl, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and egg yolk; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and cocoa; beat until well mixed. Shaped rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 in. balls; place 1 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With index finger, make indentation in center of each
Bake at 375’F. for 7-9 mins. Or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets, cool for 10 mins.
In a med. Bowl, combine all filling ingredients; beat until smooth.
Spoon ‘bout ½ teaspoon into cooled cookie. Press cherry into filling.
In small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and oil. Cook over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Spoon or drizzle over cherries on each cookie let stand until chocolate is set.
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Hershey’s Mini Kiss Chocolate Blossoms

In 2008 - no mini kisses, so used regular size. Still good.
Maybe next year, we make mini cookies with chocolate chips - 1" nummy bites! bwa-ha-ha-ha - how to annoy my chefs...


REFRIDGERATE 8-10 Min 350°F

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine (softened)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
Additional sugar
1 3/4 cups (10-oz pkg) Hershey’s Mini Kisses Semi-Sweet Chocolate

In large bowl, beat butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, coca and salt, gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1 1/8” balls; roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minute or until set. Remove from oven. Immediately place 3 Mini Kisses on top of each cookie, pressing down lightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.
2011 made by Vicki

Speculaas - Windmill Cookies

Prep: 45 minutes
Refridgerate: 1 Hour
Bake: 8-10 minutes
350F

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp finely chopped blanched almonds (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Beat until combined, scraping down sides occasionally.
Beat in egg, yolk and milk.
Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Using wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and, if desired, the almonds
2. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
3. Cover cookies sheet in baking parchment
4. Press small amount of dough into a lightly oiled cookie mold. Unmold onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
OR on lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Using 2 inch cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes.
Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake in 350 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; cool. Makes about 48 2-2 1/2" or six 8" cookies.

Nutrition per 2 - 2.5" cookies: 40 cal, 2 g total fat, 30 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

Chocolate Dreams

from Mrs. Fields cookie book
REFRIGERATE

325°F     YIELD: 2 ½ DOZEN

Cookies:

¾ cup salted butter, softened

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Chocolate filling:

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

2 Tbsp. White sugar

In a medium bowl cream butter using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add confectioners’ and brown sugars and beat until smooth. Add yolks and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add the flour and blend at low speed until thoroughly combined. Gather dough into a ball and flatten to a disk. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in plastic bag. Refrigerate for one hour.

To prepare the filling: Scald the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Preheat oven to 325 °F Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough on a floured board to ¼” thickness. Cut circles with a 2” cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheets, 1” apart. Continue using dough scraps, re-rolling and cutting until all dough is used. Drop 1 tsp. of chocolate filling in center of each circle and top with another circle. Completely seal the edges using the tines of a fork. Bake 15-16 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a cool flat surface with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with white sugar, if desired.