It's Chocolate Cherry Heaven

I know Valentine's Day was yesterday, but because we have a working household, we decided to delay "V" Day until we are both off. We will be celebrating tomorrow! So I had extra time to put together a most decadent little treat.

One of my favorite parts of a Box of Chocolates is the Chocolate Covered Cherry. I love when I bite into the hard candy shell and get all that cherry goodness leaking out. Then the fruity goodness of the cherry combined with the chocolate WOW!! It's absolutely Heaven. I wanted to get that sensation in a cookie and I think I have perfected it in this one. I give to you

Chocolate Cherry Heaven

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter (2 sticks, room temp)

2/3 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup White Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

2/3 cup Cocoa Powder

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1 medium jar Maraschino Cherries (drained and kept whole)

1 cup Chopped Walnuts *optional

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 350° f

Line Cookie Sheet with Parchment Paper

Combine Sugars and Butter.

Beat until smooth

Add Eggs, Beat until frothy.

Add Vanilla, Combine

Add Dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Fold in Cherries, Chips and Nuts.

With a 2 oz Ice Cream Scoop, Scoop mounds of dough onto parchment.

May use tablespoon and form into balls.

Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes.

Cookies will be soft when removing from oven. Carefully move them to a cooling rack while still on parchment to avoid breakage. Allow to cool 15 minutes. Once cool, Cookies can be stored in covered container for 1 week.

Yields 3 doz cookies (depending on size)

ENJOY!!!

One of the "Best Baking Blogs on the Web" !?!?!

Wow, not alot of pressure there, huh???

I am a simply an easy blogger. I am also thrilled to pieces!!!

Thank you FoodBuzz!
I am thrilled to be featured as one of

 "The Best "Baking" Blogs on the Web".

Can You believe it??

Me ??? I am so shocked! (A little proud too).

I do bake, but I have to admit, there are lots of bloggers that bake alot more than I do. The only thing I think I do differently is that I try to make it easier for Everyone to bake. I so hope that comes across. I want everyone to feel that if they take my recipe and instructions into their kitchen that they will come out with the result they see here on my blog. That's my mission for everything I post here. I bake or cook every single dish I post. I go through every ingredient and concentrate very intently on making the ingredient lists available to anyone who can get to a grocery store. I truly want to empower anyone who wants to cook, but has been intimidated to do so or just thinks it's too much trouble.

Since the concentration of this honor is on my baking..I thought I'd highlight a few of the things that have been most popular in my baking efforts. I so hope you enjoy them.

Streusal Pumpkin Bread
 ~ Featured on Foodbuzz ~

Homemade Hamburger Rolls

Boston Cream Pie Cheesecake

Lemon Coconut Tartlets

As always Thank You EVERYONE who reads, comments and follows Food is Love.

 I truly am honored for the privilege to be a part of your Food Experience! 

Coconut Macaroons

Sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes ya don't!

Today is Sunday and I felt like I needed to bake something.
Looked in the pantry and had coconut, flour (always have flour), Sweetened condensed milk....So it was Either Coconut Flan or Macaroons..My sister Loves Coconut..and was thinking of her so.. Macaroons!
They are beautiful, tasty and the easiest thing to make on this earth!
Here's the recipe. See if you agree.

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:


2/3 cup Flour
14 oz Sweetened Flaked Coconut
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla
14 oz Can sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions:

Combine in mixing bowl, Flour Coconut and Salt. Combine well.
Combine in a separate bowl Condensed Milk and Vanilla.

Pour Milk mixture into bowl with coconut mixture and combine well.
Refrigerate Mixture for 1 hour.

Preheat Oven to 350° f
Line Baking Sheet with parchment.










Use an ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons to spoon even mounds of dough onto parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake @ 350° f for 15 minutes. (exactly) They may seem soft when coming out of the oven.
When they cool, they'll be the right consistency. Chewy and sweet Just like you know.

Enjoy!