Buried Cherry Cookies

10 min 350F

½ cup butter
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 10-oz jar (about 48) maraschino cherries
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
6 oz (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ cup Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder

In a large bowl, cream butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and alt, and gradually add dry mixture to the butter mixture, beating well. Chill dough if necessary for easy handling. Shape into 1” balls and place about 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a deep thumb print in the center of each ball. Drain the cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in each thumbprint. In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and the condensed milk and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in about 4 teaspoons reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry, covering it completely.
Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes until edges are firm.
Makes about 48.