Me: “Aren’t these cookies pretty?”

Morgan: “They’re pretty…………”

Me: “They’re PRETTY!!! EAT ONE!!!”

Morgan, in the voice of doom: “There are cherries in them.”

Me: “You eat cherries! On ice cream! And even out of the jar.”

Morgan: “These cherries are in cookies.”

Me: They’re cherries! They’re pretty cookies!!”

Morgan: “I said they’re pretty…….”

So, like, if you don’t have a 13-year-old in your house? These cookies are not only pretty, they’re wonderful! I love them! But, well, if you have children….. Or is that just me? How many of you would have to make these Soft Ginger-Raisin cookies without the raisins because of your children?

Ross came in. I said, “There are cookies in the cookie jar. There are cherries in them. Will you eat–”

But by then my strapping high school senior had four cookies in his mouth so it was a moot question. I need more teenage boys……

Wait. Never mind. Two is just perfect.

And so are these cookies. If the children don’t like them, that means more for us.

How to make Cherry Chocolate Kisses:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry liquid
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/4 cup sugar
milk chocolate kisses (approx. 32)*

*How many cookies this makes depends on the size of cookie dough balls you make. I made 32.

In a large mixing bowl, whip up the butter.

Add the powdered sugar and salt.

And beat it up some more.

Add the cherry liquid and almond extract.

And beat it up again. Oooh, it’s turning a little pink. Love that. It’s so pretty.

Start adding the flour, mixing with a spoon. Add a little at a time, as much of the two cups as you can. This makes a sturdy dough.

Add chopped maraschino cherries. This makes the dough even pinker. Shape dough into little balls, about 1-inch.

Roll in granulated sugar.

Place cookie balls on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass.

Bake at 325-degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are a light golden brown. (Be careful and check after 15 minutes!)

This is a good time to unwrap your chocolate kisses. This is a really great recipe to make with kids even if they don’t want to eat the (horrifying! cherry!) cookies. All the shaping into balls and rolling in sugar and unwrapping chocolate. Kids love that stuff.

Be sure to eat some of the chocolate while you’re unwrapping.

As soon as you take the pan out of the oven, press a chocolate kiss in the middle of each one. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Eat the horrifying! cherry! cookies all by yourself now if you have to. They’re fabulous! And so pretty!

(These are spectacular for Valentine’s Day, too.)

See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes and save it to your recipe box.


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