Two More Cookies

I promise to get back to more nutritious recipes soon, but first I must write about two more of my favorite Christmas cookies. I know most of us are finished with our Christmas baking, but now the recipes will be on file for next year. 

I found the recipe for this Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookie quite a few years ago in The Taste of Home magazine. It is a dark chocolate cookie with a maraschino cherry in the center and a rich chocolate frosting on top. If you like chocolate covered cherries you will love this cookie! They are a little labor intensive, but well worth the effort.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. baking cocoa

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

48 maraschino cherries, blotted dry

for frosting:

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

1 to 2 Tbsp. maraschino cherry juice

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla.  Sift together the dry ingredients gradually add to creamed mixture. The dough will be very firm. Shape into 1 inch balls (or a little smaller) and place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Push one cherry into each ball of dough. For frosting, melt chocolate chips in sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add cherry juice and stir until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. 

The rest of the scoop . . . 

I make a double batch of the dough and a single batch of the frosting. I never run out of frosting. 

I cut the cherries in half, or even thirds. I also make the cookies smaller than 1 inch. I use my small cookie scoop and the balls are probably about 3/4 inch. 

Use parchment paper on cookie sheets. If a bit of frosting runs off the cookie it sticks badly and parchment paper will save the day when it comes to clean-up.

Yes, the frosting goes on before you bake the cookie! I know that doesn't seem right, but it is. Trust me. 

Like most other cookies, I take them out of the oven when the edges begin to set up. Let the cookies finish baking on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes. Then carefully remove and let completely cool on wax paper on the counter.

I know the recipe says it makes 4 dozen cookies, but I usually get at least 5 dozen from each single batch. I make the cookies just a little smaller. At Christmas time I like small cookies so I can sample lots of different ones. 

These cookies freeze well. I pack them in a covered container with wax paper between the layers. You can take out just a few at a time as they are ready to eat within minutes. Delicious!

I use this little spoon to make an indentation in each cookie.

Put the cherry in the indentation.

Frosting goes on top and this cookie is ready for the oven.

Baked and cooking on the counter.
Don't pack them away until completely cooled.

The next cookie is much easier to make. It is a simple drop cookie which is a lightly spiced cookie. My friend Robin gave me this recipe about 25 years ago right before Christmas and I have made it every year since. I do not know how this cookie acquired the name "Letha's", but that is what it is called. I suppose someone named Letha created the recipe at one time or another. Interestingly, I have an Aunt Letha and I always think of her, but the recipe did not come from her. Enough of that, here's the good stuff . . .

Letha's

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. shortening

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

pinch of ground cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and the shortening until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the dry ingredients and add gradually to the creamed mixture. Drop onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees 6-7 minutes. 

A little more scoop on this . . .

About the only thing I do differently is to use parchment paper (don't I always?) instead of greasing the cookie sheets. I use my smallest cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the cookie sheets and this recipe gives me about 8 dozen little cookies. Lovely!

This is a wonderful little cookie which is perfect with a nice cup of tea.

And that, my friends, is more than enough cookie baking for one year! But I must share one more bit of Christmas fun.

Shortly before my mother died she gave away many of her Christmas ornaments and decorations. I had many Christmas things of my own, but I did take a few things. My girls each took a box of the vintage ornaments. I have been using them ever since. I brought them home and they went on my tree that very Christmas. I love them. Every one is different, and beautiful. As tonight's snow is beginning to fall I am sitting in the twinkle of my Christmas tree, these ornaments are shining in the living room and it is so very pretty. I know one day these ornaments will look beautiful on my daughters' trees, too, and I imagine they will be making some of these same cookies, too. Aaah, traditions!

Merry Christmas!
Karen