Instructions

COOKIES:

1. Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside.
2. Using a mixer cream together butter, sugar, eggs extracts until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted flour and baking powder, but do not overmix.
3. Roll dough out on floured counter space to 1/2 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. I did not feel like messing around with rolling out the dough, so I just used my cookie scoop, and flattened them with the bottom of a mug prior to baking.
4. Bake at 375 ° F for about 8 minutes, or until edges just barely start to turn golden brown. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.
5. Let cool completely before piping frosting on top.

FROSTING:

1. Fill a 1/3 cup measuring cup with maraschino cherries, removing the stems if you bought stemmed cherries, pour cherry juice into the measuring cup to fill in around the cherries. Puree the cherries in your food processor, my daughter was in charge of pureeing and made it into a smooth puree, but I think this would be good with larger chunks of cherries also.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add pureed cherries, extracts, and milk and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading or piping consistency.
3.