Cheery Cherry Valentine's Day Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup finely chopped dried cherries
2.5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup very cold butter
12 oz white baking/candy making chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-3 drops red food coloring
2 tsp shortening
Optional - red/pink sprinkles or red/pink sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar.
Cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Stir in chopped cherries and 2/3 cup of the chopped white chocolate.
Stir in vanilla and food coloring (you choose how pink or red).
Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls.
Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
Flatten balls to 1.5 inches wide
Sprinkle tops with some regular sugar and gently press it into the dough
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes
Once done, cool for a few minutes then transfer to waxed paper.
In a small saucepan, combine remaining white chocolate and shortening.
While constantly stirring, heat over low heat until melted and consistency of syrup.
Dip a spoon into the melted chocolate and let some drizzle off the spoon onto the middle of each cookie, covering most of the top surface.
Sprinkle tops with colored sprinkles or sugar while chocolate is still wet.

PINEAPPLE KUGEL

(Chef Kevin Ryan)

8oz pkg wide egg noodles

6 eggs

5 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

8 oz can crushed pineapple and it's juice

1.25 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

8oz can pineapple slices

option - 1/4 cup maraschino cherries

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1. boil noodles in salted water until just starting to soften

2. rinse and drain

3. beat eggs and melted butter together

4. mix in sugar, crushed pineapple and its juice, vanilla and cinnamon

5. stir in noodles

6. spread into a greased 9x13 baking pan

7. place pineapple rings and cherries on top for decoration

8. bake at 350F for about 50 minutes until golden brown