Cherry Cookies

Yesterday we had a nice southern meal for dinner. Fried chicken and gravy with mashed potatoes and corn. I got the recipe from Tina at Mommy's Kitchen. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture (Stephen was very hungry!) but if you check out her blog she has some nice step by step pics you can see as well as more delicious-sounding recipes.

Today I made some cute cherry cookies.

I got this recipe from Sunday Baker's blog. She makes me laugh in this entry when she talks about her food never matching up to her mother in law’s. I so know that feeling! Stephen’s mom is a great cook, been cooking for years, usually for lots of people. Her family are very critical of how anyone else cooks and to this day we have to beg my younger brother in laws to spare a day of her cooking to come and eat at our house. And when they do we have to be eating similar food to what they are used to with all the same brand condiments etc. It's crazy!

When I first married Stephen I wasn’t very experienced in the kitchen as it was but whenever Marie would share one of her special recipes for something, it would never work out and I’d end up pulling my hair out as to why when I had followed her instructions to a T. This still happens with her roast. Every time she makes it, it’s delicious! It comes out of the oven tender, flavorful and full of juicy gravy (enough to make you drool just thinking about it actually!) But despite trying to make it at least 4-5 times, in two different ovens, it comes out black and burnt for me. How annoying!

There was a really funny episode of Everybody Loves Raymond once where Marie (who plays the mother in law) is sharing her recipe with Debra (the daughter in law) and deliberately leaves out the important ingredient, or replaces it with something else, so that she still makes it the best for her beloved son to continue visiting. How sneaky! I joke with my mother in law that she does this.

If you should find yourself sharing this problem, my advice is to just accumulate enough good recipes of your own that it won't matter. Now my mother in law actually asks for mine sometimes!

These easy cookies would be great as little gifts because they look Christmassy. The recipe is below. I would recommend trying almond extract instead of vanilla to increase the cherry flavor but I made them with vanilla and they were still yummy.

Lois' Cherry Cookies

1/2 c. real butter, soft
1 egg, beaten
2 t. vanilla extract
2 t. cherry juice
1 c. powdered sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1 jar of maraschino cherries, drained (save juice)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for a minute until creamy and smooth. Add to that the beaten egg, cherry juice, and vanilla and beat well. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, soda, and cream of tartar. Slowly add this to the butter mixture. You'll probably need to do some of it by hand because it will form a stiffer dough. With a small melon-ball scoop, form balls.

Lay the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet 2" apart. Flatten with a spoon or your hand.

Next, take the cherries and cut them in halves or quarters, depending on how big of a cherry you like on your cookie. Push a cherry piece into the center of each cookie.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are very lightly golden. Remove and cool on wire racks.