• In a large bowl, beat butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and mix until well combined.
• Add flour and beat until a soft dough is formed. Fold in cherries.
• Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours (or overnight). If you bake your cookies without chilling them, the cookies will spread and not be as thick.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Roll 1 heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball and place onto prepared baking sheets. Leave a little room for spreading. Repeat with all dough.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are every so lightly browned. Do not over bake, the cookies will firm up in center when they are cooling.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. 

Cherry Frosting

• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together butter, maraschino cherry juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk in 4.5 cups powdered sugar, whisking until smooth.
• Whisk in additional powdered sugar or maraschino cherry juice until you achieve a thick, spreadable frosting.
• Frost cooled cookies and decorate as desired with optional toppings. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.