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What You Need:

• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

Cherry Filling

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup red maraschino cherry juice
• 12 red maraschino cherries, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• Additional sugar

How to Make It:

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening; gradually add sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Meanwhile, make Cherry Filling.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness; cut with a 2 ½-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place half of the cookies on greased baking sheets; spoon ½ teaspoon filling in the center of each. Use a 1 ½-inch heart-shaped cutter to cut small hearts out of the other half of the cookies. (Bake small heart cutouts separately.) Place the remaining hearts over filled cookies; press edges together gently. Fill centers with additional filling if needed. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375° F for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Yields about 4 ½ dozen filled cookies.

Cherry Filling

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add juices, cherries and butter. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minutes. Chill.