Wine Cookies

A favorite Christmas Cookie made by Nonna. They are very pretty, too. Use a variety of jelly - raspberry, strawberry, grape, and peach.

Cream:
1 lb. butter
3/4 C sugar

Add and mix thoroughly:
2 eggs

Add slowly:
5 C flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 C wine

Refrigerate, roll out about 1/4" and cut into flowers, diamonds, circles, spades...etc. Match bottom of cookie with same shaped mate with a hole in the center for the jelly to show through.

Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. until barely brown on the edges, Cover bottoms with jelly, gently place tops with holes on the jelly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These are Craig's favorite cookie that we make at Christmas. They are like Cherry Cordials...

Cream:
1 C butter
2 C sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla

Add slowly:
3 C Flour
1 C unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Drain:
2 - 10 oz. jars of Maraschino cherries, reserving juice

Shape very stiff dough into 1" balls. Use thumb to make space for cherry. Place cherry in center of each cookie.

SAUCE

Combine over low heat until melted:
6 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 C sweetened condensed mild
4 tsp. reserved cherry juice

Slowly swirl chocolate over cherry, just enough to cover the cherry.

Bake on un-greased cookie sheet at 350 F for 10 minutes.