Cherry-Filled Heart Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling
1/2 sugar
4-1/2 tsps. cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup red maraschino cherry juice
12 red maraschino cherries, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening; gradually add sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. For filling, combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add juices, cherries and butter. Bring to a boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Chill.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness; cut with a 2-1/2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place half of the cookies on greased baking sheets; spoon 1/2 tsp. filling in the center of each. Use a 1-1/2 inch heart-shaped cutter to cut small hearts out of the center 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� for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen filled cookies.