Lenzs Buried Chocolate Cherry Cookies

1 - 10 oz jar maraschino cherries (42-48 cherries) 1/2 C - Butter or margarine 1C - Sugar 1/4 t - baking powder 1/4 t - baking soda 1/4 t - salt 1 egg 1 1/2 t - vanilla 1/2 C - unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 C - flour 1 C - semisweet chocolate chips (don't use imitation chocolate) 1/2 C - sweetened condensed milk (you can use low-fat if you want) Step 1: Reserving juice, drain cherries. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter with a mixer for 30 sec. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in egg, vanilla until combined. Beat in cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Do your best, dough will appear kind of crumbly.

Step 2: Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb into the center of each ball. Place a cherry in each center. Step 3: Make the Frosting, in a small saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate has melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of reserved cherry juice. Frosting can be thinned with a bit more juice. Spoon 1 tsp. frosting over each cherry, spreading with the back of the spoon. Step 4: Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are firm. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 35-38 cookies.