3¼ cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries
1½ cups butter or margarine, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
Chocolate-Cherry Frosting (below)

In a medium bowl, combine flour and cocoa powder; set aside.  Drain cherries, reserve juice.  Cut cherries in half; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Stir in flour mixture until well blended.  Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.  Place, 2-inches apart, on UNGREASED cookie sheets.  Press thumb into the center of each ball and place a cherry half into the indentation.

Bake 8 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheets; cool complete on a wire rack.  Drizzle Chocolate-Cherry Frosting over the tops.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY FROSTING

1 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons reserved cherry juice

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and butter; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.  Add confectioners’ sugar and half the cherry juice; beat until smooth.  Add enough remaining cherry juice to make of drizzling consistency.

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