Ingredients
The following ingredients have 4 Servings
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries (drained and finely chopped (reserve the cherry liquid))
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
- 12 ounces white chocolate (finely chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 drops red or purple food coloring (or purple food coloring)
- 2 teaspoons shortening
- White nonpareils and colored sanding sugar
Instruction
- Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter. Continue cutting until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Stir in the cherries, 2/3 cups of chopped white chocolate, and almond extract. Add food coloring, if desired. Knead the mixture until it forms a ball. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly, use some of the reserved cherry liquid to help bring it together.
- Shape the dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten the balls to 1 1/2 inch rounds.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the centers are set. Allow to cool for about a minute on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a double boiler, combine the remaining 8 ounces of white chocolate and the shortening. Heat until the chocolate has melted. dip half of each cookie into the chocolate. Then, roll the dipped edge into your nonpareils and / or colored sanding sugar. Allow the cookies to cool on waxed paper until the chocolate is set.
