Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies

These are my new favorite cookie. Seriously. SO GOOD.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened, but still cool
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies in
28 dark chocolate kisses, unwrapped (okay so the original recipe said to use milk but I think the dark is better. YUM)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
3. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.
4. Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined.
5. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.
7. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.
8. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes.
9. Take out of the oven and place the kiss in the center and press it into the cookie.
10. Put the cookies back in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 more minutes.
11. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. The kiss will be EXTRA soft so don't touch them. :)