Cherry Flips

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Rosemary Zwick:

Bill and Moe had started with only five hundred dollars
between them, but they had built up a computer business
with sales in the millions. Their company employed over
two hundred people, and the two executives lived like princes.

Almost overnight, things changed. Sales dropped sharply,
former customers disappeared, the business failed, and
personal debts forced both into bankruptcy. Bill and Moe
blamed each other for the troubles, and they parted on unfriendly terms.

Five years later, Bill drove up to a decrepit diner and
stopped for a cup of coffee. As he was discreetly wiping
some crumbs from the table, a waiter approached. Bill
looked up and gasped. "Moe!" he said, shaking his head.
"It's a terrible thing, seeing you working in a place as bad as this."

"Yeah," Moe said with a smirk. "But at least I don't eat here."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This recipe was contributed by aptly-named lifetime subscriber
Kim Lovely of Regina, Saskatchewan, and this is her recipe as
it appeared in the Pen-Pal Forum of the PLUS Edition on
November 18, 2002, along with her introduction:

I got this recipe more than 20 years ago when I worked at the
RCMP "Depot" Division Mess. "Depot" Division is where RCMP
officers are trained, and a "Mess" is military-speak for a place
where people eat or drink. In this case, it was where the recruits
ate. If you or any other RecitoPLUSians plan to visit this area,
make it a point to take a tour out there. It's well worth it.

These cookies were always made for Christmas and for anytime
when a dainty tray was needed. I always loved them, so I made
it a point to get the recipe. Luckily for me, the recipe isn't one
of those that serves 500 (sometimes there were that many and
more for lunch). I used to make them at Christmas every year
along with cream cheese brownies, Nanaimo Bars, coconut
cream cheese balls, and shortbread. I made a lot so I could
give a selection of baking as gifts to friends (much appreciated
especially by those friends who didn't bake for themselves). I
stopped a few years ago because I found I was eating too much
of it myself. I should warn you that, when making and dipping
these, the first dozen did not make it any farther than my mouth.

Cherry Flips

1 cup (250 ml) butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) icing (confectioner's) sugar
1-2 tsp (5-10 ml) almond flavouring (I never have it so
I use vanilla and they're still terrific)
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
2 cups (500 ml) flour, sifted
30 maraschino cherries (or more), well drained
(I generally rinse them with warm water)
(Reserve juice for icing)
Finely chopped walnuts (optional - I hate walnuts)

Cream butter and sugar, add flavouring and mix. Add egg yolks and
salt and beat. Stir in flour. (Dough will be quite soft.) Pinch off little
pieces and press flat in the palm of your hand. Insert a cherry and
fold and roll dough around it forming a ball. Place on greased cookie
sheet. Bake at 325F for 25 minutes or until golden. When cold, dip
in thin icing made from 1 1/2 cup icing sugar and 1/4 cup cherry juice.
Roll in nuts (if using - I really hate walnuts).

Note 1: You want the icing thin enough that it will drip a bit over
the cookie but not so thin that it falls right off. Basically, they
should look like little, white mountains topped with pink snow.

Note 2: Also, you might think 1/4 cup of the cherry juice is not
enough for that amount of icing sugar. Trust me, it is. I found that
out the hard way and ended up having to add more sugar. I had icing
left for next year (good thing it keeps well in fridge, it just needed
to be stirred up because juice separated and was floating on top).

Tip: I used to take dough, cherries and cookie sheets and sit in front
of the TV and roll them there. It seemed to make it go faster.
Received on Thu Dec 23 00:51:25 2010