Tony Claxton's Recipes
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies		    

   The original recipe had no fondant filling. I found one from a chocolate covered cherry recipe and cut it in half. The original also had you put the cherry and chocolate covering on before baking. It didn't work at all with the fondant. It made the cookie so gooey in the center that the cherry would fall out. It works really well to wait and bake the cookies first and then re-form the indentation before filling it while the cookie is hot. Also, it keeps the cookies from spreading so much to chill one sheet while making the cookies on the 2nd, then baking the 1st while the 2nd is chilling, then baking the 2nd after the 1st comes out. If the chocolate covering seems to be too thick, add a little more cherry juice, there should be extra.

                                   
Ingredients
Cherry Centers:
10 oz Jar - Maraschino Cherries

Creamy Fondant Filling:
2 T - Butter
1 1/4 C - Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 t - Milk
1/4 t - Almond Extract

Chocolate Covering:
1 C (6 oz) - Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 C - Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 t - Reserved Cherry Juice
     Cookie Dough:
1/2 C - Butter, Softened
1 C - Sugar
1 Large - Egg
1 1/2 t - Vanilla
2 t - Reserved Cherry Juice
1 1/2 C - All Purpose Flour
1/2 C - Cocoa
1/4 t - Baking Powder
1/4 t - Baking Soda
1/4 t - Salt
Instructions
  • Drain cherries, reserving 3 t juice
  • Cut cherries in half and set aside
  • Make Creamy Fondant Filling:
    • Beat butter until creamy
    • Add sugar, milk and almond extract, beating until smooth
  • Make Cookies:
    • Pre heat oven to 350°F
    • Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer, on medium, until creamy
    • Add egg, vanilla and 2 t reserved cherry juice
    • Beat until blended
    • Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt
    • Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until blended after each addition
    • Shape dough into 1" balls and place on ungreased baking sheets
    • Press center of balls with thumb
    • Bake for about 10 minutes
  • While waiting for the second sheet to bake
    • Use your thumb to increase depression
    • Put about 1/2 t fondant in the depression with a cherry half on top
    • Allow to cool
    • Repeat for second sheet
  • Make chocolate covering
    • Heat milk and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted
    • Stir in remaining 1 t reserved cherry juice
    • Cool slightly
  • Spoon 1 t chocolate mixture over each cherry, completely covering cherry and fondant
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