36: Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints

This year, I participated in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap - I wanted to participate last year, but didn't find out about it until it was too late. I was so awed by all the yummy looking cookies I saw last year - and this year didn't disappoint either!

I wanted to make an impressive but easy cookie for my swap - and I knew right away that I wanted to use a recipe I found in one of my Gramma's cookbooks. These Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints were perfect! I hope my recipients thought so as well! :) My kiddos wanted to eat all of the cherries, and I had to keep telling them they were for the cookies .... Luckily, they let them be until I was done baking - and then they promptly requested the rest! You can see what I received in the mail from Kat at I Want Crazy and from Val at A Scrumptious Life ..... I haven't received my 3rd batch of cookies yet! :( I sent cookies to Chelsea at Whatcha Makin' Now, Tracy at Pale Yellow and Sarah at Punctuated. With Food.If you're interested in receiving notifications about next year's cookie swap, be sure to sign up for the announcements!

Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints
Printable Recipe
Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

2 cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1¾ cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup (10⅔ tbsp. or 1 stick plus 2⅔ tbsp.) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups ( two 10-oz. jars) maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry

Microwave 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in additional 10-20 second increments, stirring until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. Stir in the oat mixture. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2-inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press deep centers into each cookie using your thumb. Place a cherry into each center.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. Let stand on cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips as mentioned above. Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled cookies.