Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or non-stick foil.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.

Drop the cookies by quarter cupfuls onto the cookie sheets - 7 or 8 cookies per sheet.

If you plan on using the mascarpone filling, I recommend making the smaller size (8 cookies per sheet) cookies.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 12-15 minutes or until they appear set but still moist. Scoop them up onto a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

Now make whichever filling you've chosen. For the Amish filling, beat together the shortening, powdered sugar, marshmallow stuff, dissolved salt and vanilla. Stuff the cookies as you would if you were Amish. Serve however you want.

If you've chosen the expensive, fancy filling, do this. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the dried cherries and set them aside. Roughly chop the rest.

Place 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl and add the un-chopped cherries to the bowl. Shake the bowl gently to coat the cherries with sugar, then set them aside. Add the chopped cherries to the bowl and shake them so that they are coated with whatever sugar remains. Set them aside as well.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream and sugar until peaks form. In yet another bowl, fold ⅓ cup of the whipped cream mixture into the mascarpone cheese to lighten it, then fold this mixture into the remaining whipped cream. Spread a ¼ thick inch layer of filling onto the bottom side of a cookie. Sprinkle on about ¾ teaspoon of the chopped dried cherries and top with another cookie, pressing lightly to make a sandwich. Do this until you have 8 sandwich cookies. To serve, heap the cookies on a platter and serve them with the extra whipped cream and the sugared cherries which you did not chop up.