Saturday, July 2, 2011

Double Cherry Kisses

When I was a little girl, I remember my great aunt used to make peanut butter blossoms. I loved them sooo much. Now I'm sure my mom made them occasionally, but I only seem to remember eating them when we went to visit my great aunt. I'd always eat the chocolate "blossom" or Kiss part last. I don't think I ate them together a single time, at least not that I can remember.

Seeing the recipe for cherry chocolate kisses at the Curvy Carrot made me feel all nostalgic for those peanut butter blossoms. But this version was completely different. It was like a those peanut butter blossoms got together with one of my favorite Christmas cookies, Santa's Whiskers and had a wee little cookie baby. Of course that cookie baby didn't inherit the peanut butter or the coconut gene.

I used cherry cordial kisses just to up the cherry factor in the cookie.  I'm not a big fan of the cordial kisses by themselves, but in this cookie...HELLO!  I actually want to eat the Kiss with the cookie.  They pair so well together.

I had to brow beat Blockette into trying a cookie because she "does not like cherries" Hey whatdaya know.  Mom is right.  The cherry in the cookies are good and no you can't eat 12 in one sitting.

Cherry Chocolate Kisses from the Curvy Carrot Servings: approximately 36 cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies
36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt. Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Using your thumb, gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle each cookie with a little granulated sugar. Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes. Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

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