100g butter

1/2 cup (150g) caster sugar

1 egg

2 cups (300g) plain flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

100g dark eating chocolate, melted

MACAROON FILLING

1 egg white

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon  vanilla extract

3/4 cup (60g) desiccated coconut

1 teaspoon plain flour

2 tablespoons finely chopped red glace cherries

1. Make Macaroon filling - beat egg white in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Gradually add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until dissolved between additions.  Fold in extract, coconut, flour and cherries.

2. Beat butter, sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer intil light and fluffy; stir in sifted dry ingredients, in two batches.  Stir in chocolate.

3. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth.  Roll dough between sheets of baking paper until 7mm thick.

4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/160 degrees C fan oven.  Grease oven trays; line with baking paper or silicone mat.

5. Using 6cm heart -shaped cutter, cut hearts from dough.  Place about 2cm apart, on oven trays.  Using 3cm heart-shaped cutter, cut out centres from hearts.

6. Bake cookies about 7 minutes;  remove from oven.  Reduce oven temperature to 150 degrees C/130 degrees C fan oven.

7. Divide macaroon mixture amoung centres of cookies; smooth surface.  Cover with foil (like a tent so foil does not touch surface of macaroon).  Bake about 15 minutes or until macaroon is firm.  Cool on trays 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes 22