Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Layer melt-in-your-mouth, almond-flavored shortbread cookies with a creamy-dreamy, chocolaty-cherry center. Light Cocoa Candy Melts candy and Maraschino cherries add flavor to fluffy marshmallow crème, making the filling even more delectable. Top with melted candy and a cherry slice for the ultimate chocolate cherry sandwich cookie.

AmountMakes about 5 dozen sandwich cookies.

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract, 4 Oz.
1/4 teaspoon Imitation Almond Extract, 2 oz.
1 cup Marshmallow cream
14 Maraschino cherries
12 oz Light Cocoa Candy Melts
2 tsp of juice from Maraschino cherry jar

Tools
Cookie Sheet
Double Roll Parchment Paper
Rolling Pin

Instructions

Click to mark complete

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In small bowl, stir together flour and salt.
In large bowl, beat butter, 1/2 cup shortening and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until well combined. Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat until incorporated. Add in flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, scraping bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Beat until just incorporated. Divide dough into 2 disks.
On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Cut into 1-1/2 in rounds. Transfer to cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes, or until cookies are just beginning to brown at the edges. Cool on pan 5 minutes; transfer to cooling grid to cool completely.
For filling, melt 1/2 cup Light Cocoa Candy Melts Candy in large microwave safe bowl according to package instructions. Add marshmallow crème and remaining 1/2 cup shortening and mix until well combined. Pipe or spread filling onto half of cookies; sandwich with remaining cookie.
Melt remaining Candy Melts according to package directions. Add in 2 tsp of the juice from the Maraschino cherry jar. Dip top of cookie in melted candy. Garnish with maraschino cherry. Let set.