Bon Bon -Stuffed Cookies,Anyone?

Bon bon cookies are Christmassy cookies that are stuffed with cherries,choc chips ,coconuts or whatever you feel like.This is an old heritage cookie I stumbled upon while browsing and I had used this recipe from WhatsCookingAmerica site.It has a simple cookie dough which is traditionally eggless and the cookies are stuffed and then baked and dipped in/drizzled with frosting.The normal flat cookie gets a perfect makeover in this version.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour: 1.5 cups
Salt: 1/8 tsp

Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup softened
Powdered (Confectioners Sugar):3/4 cup
Vanilla Extract: 1-2 tsp
Food Coloring: few drops (optional)
Cream/Milk: 1-2 tbsp (optional)

Filling:
Glazed Cherries
Sweeetened Coconut
Chocolate chips
Dates,Nuts etc

Frosting/Icing:
Powdered (Confectioners/Icing)Sugar: 1/2 cup
Cream: 1 tbsp
Food coloring: few drops/pinches
Vanilla

Preparation:

Sift together flour and salt in a bowl.Cream together butter,sugar and vanilla and optional food colouring .Add in the flour -salt mix and bring together to form a dough.If the dough is too dry /not coming together add in milk/cream.I added milk and obtained a crumbly soft dough.

Pinch tablespoonful of dough,form into a ball,make an indentation,put the filling in the centre and mold the dough around the filling.I used candied cherries thoguh you can go for a filling of your choice.Place the stuffed dough ball in an ungreased and optionally lined baking sheet.

Repeat the process for rest of the dough and place the cookies 1 inch apart.Bake in a pre heated oven at 350F for 12-15 minutes,until the bottom starts turning brown,but the top is not yet browned.They may still look uncooked at the top.Remove from the oven and immediately remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.When the cookies are warm dip them in the icing and cool completely.You can also drizzle the icing on top of the cookies,rather than completely dipping or even use them without frosting.

Icing/Frosting:

Beat cream and sugar and food coloring and vanilla till well blended.You can also use coloured juices -cherry/strawberry/pom as per taste instead of food colouring.I used red food colouring for the icing.

The delectable cookies are on way to Eat Christmas Cookies: Season 3 at FoodBlogga and they will be part of an amazing round up .These are also on way to Sara's Cake n Cookies Event, as a part of her blogversary celebrations.

It seems these were the in vogue cookies of the '60s thanks to Betty Crocker.Do read the old ad campaign of BettyCrocker here with delectable bon bons.Also check out the detailed video of making these here.

UPDATE on 13 Jan 2010 : The cookies are also a part of the Jingle Event at Asankhana. I had forgotten to add the link earlier though had mailed it.Do wait for the jingling round up.Thanks Priyanka for accepting this along with Sugar Plums.