Cherry Blossom Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Butter (Softened)
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Maraschinio Cherry Liquid
• 6 Drops Red Food Coloring Gel
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Jar Maraschino Cherries
• 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 36 White Chocolate Disks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
2. Use a colander to drain cherries, reserving about 2 tablespoon of the cherry liquid.
3. In a stand mixer, cream butter and gradually mix in powdered sugar. Add cherry juice, coloring gel & vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix until just combined. Remove bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to gently fold the cherries into the dough.
4. Shape dough into 1- inch balls, roll in sugar and flatten into disks. Bake until the sides of the cookies are lightly brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately press a chocolate disk in the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to completely cool.