Shelly's Recipe

CHERRY-FILLED HEART COOKIES

Category: Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

FILLING
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup red maraschino cherry juice
12 red maraschino cherries, chopped
1 tbsp butter
Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening; gradually add sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, for filling, combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Add juices, cherries and butter. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Chill.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a 2 1/2 inches heart-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour.

Place half of the cookies on greased baking sheets; spoon 1/2 tsp filling in the center of each. Use a 1 1/2 inch heart-shaped cutter to cut small hearts out of the other half of the cookies. (Bake small heart cutouts separately.)

Place the remaining hearts over filled cookies; press edges together gently. Fill centers with additional filling if needed. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen filled cookies.