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Black Forest Christmas Cookies

Source of Recipe


From "Cold Weather Cooking" by Sarah Leah Chase






List of Ingredients



• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 tsp almond extract
  
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  
• 1 cup canned pitted sweet cherries, drained
  






Instructions



1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside. Cream butter and sugars in large electric-mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and almond extract; continue to beat until mixture is light and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Beat in chocolate. Gradually stir in flour mixture, mixing just to blend. Refrigerate dough 1 hour to allow it to become firm.
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. To form each cookie: Take a heaping tablespoon of dough, make an indentation in the center, insert a cherry, then shape the dough into a ball around the cherry center. Place cookies in rows 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
   
   
3. Bake until tops are puffed and just beginning to crack, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container as long as 1 week.
   
   Makes 36 to 40 cookies.