Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These are Jason's favorite cookie that I bake.  So much so, if he discovered I was giving his prize recipe away for free he would flip.  It's a weird pride bragging rights thing with him :)  However, they are simple, relatively inexpensive and a great DIY gift option.  I made these recently as a gift, along with two other cookie recipes that I am still working up the courage to put the recipes on here in fear of retaliation from my recipe protecting husband. Hopefully, those will be coming soon.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened coco
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries
1 6 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup eagle condensed milk

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.
Step 3: In a separate small mixing bowl combine flour, coco, baking soda, and baking powder.
Step 4: Gradually add dry ingredients into the butter mixture.  Beat on medium until thoroughly mixed.

Step 5: Using a cookie scoop, roll balls into even 1 in. balls.

Step 6: Bake for 8 min.
Step 7:  While cookies are baking, melt the chocolate chips, condensed milk and 4 tsp of cherry juice in the microwave. (approximately 45 sec. on my 1100 watt micro).  Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 8.  Remove cookies and while still hot make an indentation in each cookie either using your thumb or tsp.

Step 9: Place a single cherry in each well.

Step 10: Spoon the melted chocolate onto each cookie to cover the cherry and let cool.  The chocolate will gradually harden to the consistency of fudge.

This gift box was one I had saved from a gift I had received.  I lined it with tissue.  I then printed out labels for each type of cookie and mounted it one shiny paper.  Using a ribbon I also had leftover from a gift and hot glued the ribbon to the box and the cards onto the ribbon.  Very cute and a sweet gift I know I would like to get :)  I know Jason wanted one too because I had to make him extra just so he would leave these alone :)