Cream:
1/2 c butter
Add:
1 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Beat until well combined.
Add:
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat well.
GRADUALLY add:
1/2 c cocoa
1 1/2 c flour
The dough will go from very dry to sticky.
Stop mixing when it clumps into a ball.
Chill dough or assemble and freeze for baking later.*
* When I skipped this step, the cookies spread.
Roll dough into small balls.
Place on ungreased sheet.
Press down center with thumb.
Drain:
16 oz jar maraschino cherries (SAVE JUICE)
Place cherries in thumbprints.
Have all dough rolled and cherries placed before
making fudge. The fudge hardens as time passes,
so move promptly.
Fudge:
Microwave for 30 sec:
1 c real semisweet chocolate chips*
1/2 c sweetened condensed milk
Stir until melted, micro longer if needed.
Stir in:
4 tsp reserved cherry juice or milk
Generously spoon chocolate over cherry, spread to cover cherry.
If hard to spread, add more juice, but excess won't hold it's shape.
If making ahead, they freeze well at this point.
Do not thaw before baking.
Bake @ 350 10-11 min (cookie should puff).
Let set 2-3 min before transferring to cool.
Cover & store at room temp up to 2 days.
*NO SUBSTITUTES or it dissolves into cookie.
