Canada Day Potluck

Happy Canada Day! Tomorrow is July 1st, Canada Day. Since we are stuck working, we decided to have a Potluck! I am trying a new recipe, Double Chocolate Cherry cookies. Mmm. And here's the professional shot, taken from a tin of condensed milk recipes:

Cookies:

3 + 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 + 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

1 + 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 (6 oz) jars maraschino cherries (without stems) well drained and halved.

Preheat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Stir in flour mixture (dough will be stiff) Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets, press sherry half into center of each cookie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, cool.

Icing:

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (recipe recommends Eagle Brand)

In heavy sauce pan over low heat melt chocolate chips and milk. Continue cooking about 3 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Frost each cookie, covering cherry. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature.

Now, the good thing about these cookies is they were fairly simple to make, and they look fancy. The chocolate topping is really nice, but i found the cookie a bit bland. I only used 3 cups of flour, they were extremely dry. I ended up adding a few Tablespoons of cherry juice. I did not find the topping thicken like the recipe said it would, i was able to dip the cookies, brought back memories of working as a donut decorator :-) The recipe also stated it would make 6 dozen, i got about 4 dozen. Still quite a bit, though.

I stuck them in the fridge for now, and i am hoping they set up overnight. I am also hoping they do not melt. Since tomorrow is a holiday, i have no choice but to walk to work, buses are running few and far between, so I am hoping it will not be to hot! I plan on leaving early and checking out some of the festivities Uptown tomorrow morning to...so i am hoping i do not end up having to buy something in the City Market for potluck!!

Well, have a happy Canada Day everyone, here's to good food and good friends!