I forgot to add this: Instead of the 1/2 cup butter, I used 1/4 cup EV olive oil + 1/4 cup butter and it was fine.

The coffee flavor will be wonderful....but 2 cups of liquid and 1/2 cup of oil sound like way too much liquid for the amount of flour and cocoa. I'd make half the recipe and see what it's like before I went for the whole thing and put my precious cherries on it. Linda c

How about rum balls made with oreo cookies (found at Chowhound): Midnight Rum Balls 1 small package (8.5 oz.) Oreo cookies 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 1 cup finely chopped nuts (optional - I leave 'em out) 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (sweetened cocoa is fine, too) 2 Tbsp corn syrup 1/3 cup rum (don't use more!) granulated sugar Put whole cookies in food processor and whiz until finely crushed. In medium bowl, combine crumbs, powdered sugar, nuts, and cocoa. Blend in corn syrup and rum. Wet hands and shape mixture into one-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Store covered, in a cool place. (Rum balls are better after they have "mellowed" for a day or two.) Variation: Prepare marinated cherries: soak a jar of sour cherries in rum or kirsch for a week or two. When ready to use, drain cherries well, then pat dry. Wrap mixture around a cherry and roll in sugar as above. I've also made these cookies with a different alcohol - Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) is really nice. I'll bet an orange liqueur would be good, too.

I wouldn't take that recipe as the gospel :-) If you research the history of this dressing you can find varying recipes from around that time that call for different ingredients........including adding Tabasco sauce to provide a piquant flavor and a slightly pink coloration. Some early recipes even call for the inclusion of caviar, which may (or may not) have lead to its being called 'Russian' dressing.........although it is NOT Russian in origin but very definitely an American creation. The version most of us have come to accept as Russian dressing was developed in the early part of the century by a NH grocer who bottled and sold a mayonnaise version (previous renditions were more of a creamy vinaigrette) that included tomato sauce and horseradish beginning in 1910. Here is a popular recipe from 1914: Get a large bowl and mixer, then beat yolk of three eggs, one teaspoon of mustard and one of salt, a dash of paprika and 1/2 cup of vinegar. Mix up well and, while mixing, add 1 pinch olive oil and continue mixing until thick. Strain one-half bottle of chili sauce through a cloth and mix what remains with the dressing. Add some chopped chives and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and the dressing is complete.