#4 Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

CHERRY CHEESECAKE COOKIES

1 6-oz jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
red food coloring
milk

• Drain cherries, reserving juice. Pat cherries dry. Finely chop cherries; measure 1/3 cup. Spread cherries on paper towels, pat dry.
• In a large bowl combine butter, shortening, and cream cheese. Beat with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in egg and extract until combined. Gradually add flour, beating until combined.
• Divide dough into 3 portions. Leave one portion plain. Into another dough portion, knead 1/2 tsp of the reserved cherry juice and enough red food coloring to make the dough light pink. Knead chopped cherries into remaining dough portion. Wrap each dough portion with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.
• Lightly flour three pieces of parchment paper. On each piece, roll a dough portion into a 6-inch square. Cover each portion with plastic wrap and freeze for about 30 minutes.
• Place plain dough square on work surface; brush top with milk. Place pink square on top of plain square. Turn over and brush other side of plain square with milk; place chopped cherry square on top of that one. Evenly trim the edges and cut stack into 3 even portions; freeze for about 30 more minutes.
• Preheat oven 275 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cut each block crosswise into 12 slices. Place slices on sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest magazine Dec 2011 edition

#1 Cherry Thumbprint

So I'm trying this little segment out, but its a dooooozy. "25 days of Christmas Sweets." Originally it was "Christmas Cookies" but then I expanded my recipes to cover a bigger range. Yes, I will diet AFTER Christmas, but before then...enjoy! A new sweet will be posted EVERY DAY until Christmas (hopefully!!)!

Thumbprints are a new adventure for me. I don't know why I've never made them before of wanted to make before--they are actually really EASY and quite delicious!

CHERRY THUMBPRINTS

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup slivered almonds, chopped finely
1 can cherry pie filling

• In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined. Then beat in egg yolks, vanilla and extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer, then mix in the remaining by hand. 
• Cover and chill for about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grease cookie sheets. 
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll ball in beaten egg white and then roll in chopped almonds.
• Place balls 1-inch apart on cookie sheets. Using your thumb, make indentation in each dough ball.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are brown. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
• Fill each thumbprint with cherry pie filling and a cherry. Serve immediately.

If saving for later use, store cookie without the filling in the middle stacked in an air-tight container with wax paper between layers.

The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest magazine Dec 2011 edition