Black Forest Cookies

I'm back! Thanks Big C, for covering for me while I was busy making boring "grown-up" food (chicken cordon bleu, crab-stuffed pork loin, and chicken tikka masala in case anyone was wondering :)).

I made up these little cookies last week for a "cake mix bake-off" with some girlfriends, they were delicious! They're perfect for parties and look beautiful wrapped up on a plate as a gift. Even better, you can make them in a snap!

Black Forest Cookies
Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix (we like chocolate fudge)
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, softened (that's one stick)

1 can cherry pie filling

buttercream icing (recipe below)
chocolate sprinkles, optional (you can find them near the ice cream toppings or in the cooking aisle)
note: this recipe uses about half the can of cherry pie filling, so I usually double it and use the whole can.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, egg, and butter in a medium bowl until well blended and stiff dough forms. Roll into 1" balls and set on greased cookie sheet. With your thumb, make an indentation on each ball.
Open pie filing and place one cherry and a bit of sauce in each cookie's indentation.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until just set. Cookies will spread when baking. Cool completely.
Put frosting in a pasty bag with a star tip (or a ziploc bag with the end snipped off). Make a circle of frosting around the cookie's center and garnish with sprinkles. Yum!

Basic Buttercream Icing:
1 cup butter, softened (use vegetable shortening when pure white icing is needed)
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla or other desired flavoring
2 pounds confectioners' sugar (about 5 cups)

Cream butter until smooth. Add about 1 c. sugar at a time, alternating with a little milk. Blend well. If stiffer icing is needed, or if the weather is very warm, add a little extra sugar. This recipe is enough to cover and fill a 9 by 13-inch sheet cake or 2 (9-inch) layers.