AMISH CHERRY COOKIES

Imagine my surprise when I went to the cookie jar to get a cookie to find the jar empty. What? We used to have a "law" in this house that no one could eat the last of any treat without asking me first if it were okay. Times have changed.

Wanting a cookie, I just decided to make some. That's when I revisited this recipe for Cherry Cookies in my Amish Cooking cookbook. I love this cookbook because every recipe takes up two pages. The first page has a picture related to the Amish and the recipe. The second page has a full page picture of the finished food.

The only change I made in this recipe was reducing the sugar calories by using truvia baking blend for the sugar. The recipe was one of those I love so much (NOT!) that said to bake at 375 degrees until done. I have given a span of time in case your oven bakes differently from mine.

CHERRY COOKIES

2-1/4      cups all-purpose flour
1              teaspoon baking powder
1/2          teaspoon soda
1/2          teaspoon salt
3/4         cup shortening
1              cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup truvia baking blend)
2             eggs
2             tablespoons milk
1              teaspoon almond extract
1              teaspoon vanilla
1              cup chopped pecans
1/3          cup chopped maraschino cherries
1              cup chopped dates
2-1/2      cups cornflakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. (I lined mine with parchment paper instead.)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.

Combine the shortening and sugar,

then blend in the eggs.

Add to this mixture the milk, almond extract, and vanilla.

Blend in the sifted dry ingredients and mix it well.

Add the pecans, cherries, and dates, and mix it well again. Shape the dough into balls, using 1 level tablespoon per cookie. (Small cookie scoop works perfectly.)

Crush the cornflakes

and roll each ball of dough in them.

Place the balls on cookie sheet

and top each one with 1/4 cherry.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until done.

Cool on pan about a minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack.





Do not stack them until they are cold.