1/2 cup butter or margarine or butter flavor Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
48 maraschino cherries blotted dry
FROSTING
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 to 3 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy--beat in egg and vanilla
Combine dry ingredients and gradually add to cream mixture (batter will be very firm)
Shape into 1 inch balls
Push one cherry halfway into each ball (may use 1/2 or small cherries)
Melt chocolate chips and milk in saucepan over low heat stirring constantly
Remove from heat--add cherry juice and stir until smooth
Spoon 1 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry (frosting will spread over cookie during baking)
