½ c. Maraschino Cherries, drained, squeezed (somewhat) dry with paper towels and finely chopped
11 oz. White Chocolate Chips
3 t. Almond Extract
½ t. Pure Vanilla
6 T. Cherry Juice, reserved from the maraschino cherries
Pink or Red Dye
Sprinkles, sanding sugar, etc for decor
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender or two forks (I actually prefer to use my fingers), cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained and chopped cherries and ⅔ cup of the white chocolate chips. Stir in the cherry juice, almond extract, vanilla and food dye. Knead the mixture a bit to get it into a more cohesive mass. Pinch off a chunk of dough and form a ¾-inch ball. Place on the cookie sheet and press down slightly with a drinking glass that has been dipped in granulated sugar.
Bake for 10-12 minutes (mine took 12 minutes exactly) or until the centers are set. Do not overbake. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
In a small bowl, melt the rest of the white chocolate in the microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring between each. Dip half the cookies in the melted white chocolate and decorate with sprinkles, sugar, etc. Place on foil and let dry completely.
Notes
For a thinner white chocolate coating, use use white chocolate candy melts. That's what I will use the next time.
Recipe by DessertedPlanet.com at http://dessertedplanet.com/white-chocolate-cherry-cookies/