Chocolate Cherry Sugarplums

Update: I prepared and scheduled this virtual cookie exchange ahead of time, obviously not knowing that my mom would pass away. I feel SO, SO blessed that my mom popped by the day I was making these. I had baked four cookies just to show the final product and was able to give her the last cookie. Thank you, God, for allowing me to create some warm final memories of my mom. Recipe card from Shabby Princess Holiday Recipe Collection. For personal use ONLY.

Today I'm baking Chocolate Cherry Sugarplums. I remember making loads of cookies with my mom when I was younger but this was always my favorite. A chocolate cookie with cherry cocoa frosting and a hidden gem of a maraschino cherry underneath. Let's get started.

Here are the ingredients you'll need for the cookie: flour, cocoa*, salt, baking soda, baking powder, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla.

*I am using black cocoa that a friend gave to me which is a dark chocolate. As a result my cookies will have a much deeper, richer color than if you use regular baking cocoa powder.
The ingredients you'll need for the frosting: maraschino cherries, semi-sweet chips, sweetened condensed milk.

Mix all of your dry ingredients together. I like to use a heavy hand with the salt when I make cookies because I like the salty finish paired with the sweet middle.

Cream your butter and sugar together. Add the vanilla and egg.

Gradually add your dry ingredients and you will end up with this luscious looking dough.

I like to freeze my cookie dough until I need it. If you want to do the same, scoop the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. You can put them really close together for this purpose. Put in the freezer for about 2-3 hours and then remove from the cookie sheet and place in a freezer ziptop bag. When it's time to bake you just pull the dough straight out of the freezer and add a few extra minutes of bake time, no need to thaw.

When you bake your cookies, after you put them in the oven you need to prepare your frosting. This is a frosting that goes on while the cookie and frosting are still warm so you need to kind of act quickly. Mix your chips and chocolate together. Microwave at 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Then add your cherry juice and stir.

Admire your beautiful cookies as they come out of the oven.

Then press halved maraschino cherries into each one fresh out of the oven. Frost immediately.

Enjoy your cookies! I forgot to write on the card but this recipe only makes 30 cookies so you may or may not want to double the recipe.

It's YOUR turn, what are you baking today?