Cherry Tea Cookies, Demands from Mom, & Niece Rowan

These are my mom?s favorite cookies and lately she?s been demanding them to be sent via care package to her home. Aren?t mother?s supposed to send their children care packages, not the other way around?

I never did mail a package to her, so instead I made them while I visited this weekend. It?s not quite the same as getting a box in the mail, but hopefully she?ll forgive me.

I also took a few photographs of my new niece Rowan while I was there. I?ve forgotten how small babies are! They're such cute little grumpy aliens. It took some time to get a photograph where she didn?t look like she wanted to protest this strange new world, but I was armed with my camera when she smiled a little in her sleep. I didn't even bother fighting for an open eye shot. Although mom did try to wake her for one.

I?ll try again when she?s a little happier with all of us. I figure I?ve got years to chase this kid around with a camera.


Cherry Tea Cookies
This recipe is simple, but the dough should rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and cure overnight after baking for the best cookies. So try to plan a day in advanced. But if you don't have extra time don't worry about waiting, just bake them right away.

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon maraschino cherry liquid
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup drained maraschino cherries, chopped well

1. With an electric mixer beat together the sugar, butter, salt, maraschino cherry liquid, and almond extract. Once combined, add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Add the chopped maraschino cherries and mix together. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and set on the counter for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3. Scoop the dough with a standard (size 50) cookie scoop and roll into balls. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets and bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes or until very lightly brown on the bottom. Let rest on the cookie sheets for a few minutes and move to a cooling rack. Once cool, store in an airtight container to cure overnight before serving.

Recipe and Picture by Laura Flowers.