Homemade Chocolate-Covered Cherries
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The Spruce / Christine Ma
Chocolate-covered cherries, also known as cherry cordials, are a classic candy recipe. Juicy cherries, sweet fondant, and dark chocolate combine in this confection. The process takes a little bit of time and patience, but the reward of homemade cordials is well worth the effort. Chocolate and cherries are delicious together.
To get the traditional liquid center in these cherries, you will need two things: an ingredient called invertase, and time—it takes about a week for the filling to fully liquefy.
Invertase is an enzyme that liquefies sugar. It can be omitted without affecting the taste, but your centers will not liquefy. As an invertase alternative, soaking the cherries in an alcohol such as brandy before making the candy will also produce a liquid center after a week or so.
This confection is great for the holidays as a dessert, a gift, or special treat.
Ingredients
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40 maraschino cherries with stems, about one 20-ounce jar
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1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
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1 tablespoon light corn syrup
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2 tablespoons cherry liquid from the jar, or cherry liqueur
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1 teaspoon liquid invertase
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1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
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3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
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1 pound semi-sweet chocolate candy melts
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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The day before you want to make the chocolate-covered cherries, drain the cherries from their soaking liquid and reserve 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Pat the cherries dry between sheets of paper towels and let them sit on a wire rack overnight to dry.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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The next day, prepare the fondant filling. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, corn syrup, reserved cherry liquid, almond extract, and liquid invertase, and beat until combined. It is okay if the butter separates at this point—it will all come together soon.
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Stop the mixer and add the confectioners' sugar to the bowl, then mix on low speed until the candy comes together in a ball around the mixing paddle.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated, and check the texture of the candy: it should be quite soft, but not so sticky that you cannot handle it.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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If necessary, add a little more confectioners' sugar to make it workable, but remember: the softer it is, the sooner it will liquefy.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Use a small candy scoop or a teaspoon to form a quarter-sized ball of fondant, and roll it in your hands to get it round. Flatten the ball between your palms, and place a cherry in the center of the fondant.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Bring together the outer edges and pinch the fondant together at the top where the stem extends from the cherry. Make sure the cherry is covered completely, then roll it between your palms to smooth out any seams or wrinkles and get it round.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Place the cherry on a waxed paper-covered baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining cherries until they are all covered with fondant. Refrigerate the tray until the fondant feels firm, at least 30 minutes.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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While you are waiting for the fondant to firm up, melt the chocolate candy melts over medium heat in a double boiler.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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When the fondant is firm, begin the dipping process. Holding a cherry by the stem, dip just the bottom in the chocolate, coming about 1/4-inch up the sides of the cherry. Place the cherry back on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cherries.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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By the time you have finished dipping the bottom of the last cherry, the first cherry will probably be set and ready to be fully dipped. (If not, refrigerate the tray briefly to set the chocolate bottoms.)
Hold a cherry by the stem and drag it through the chocolate, coating it completely. Be sure that there is absolutely no fondant showing through. When it is fully covered with chocolate, let the excess drip over the bowl, then gently drag the bottom edge over the lip of the bowl to remove any excess. Replace the cherry on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cherries.
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Set cherries aside at room temperature for 2 to 3 days to allow the centers to begin to liquify. (Cold temperatures will slow down the invertase's work). Test the liquid centers after 2 to 3 days, and continue to monitor their progress via the occasional taste test until the centers have completely liquified.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
Tip
When coating the cherries with chocolate, don't worry if you get the stem, too. It's better to coat a little of the stem with chocolate, just to be sure liquid fondant doesn't bubble through the top where the stem extends from the chocolate.
Variations
- You can find candy melts in a variety of colors. These cherries can also be dipped in white chocolate candy melts or colored. To make colored candy melts with white chocolate melts or bark, melt as directed on the package. Add food coloring—preferably gel-based—to the melted chocolate until you have the desired shade.
- You can use regular semi-sweet chocolate. However, you will either need to temper the chocolate or turn it into homemade dipping chocolate to make sure the coating remains firm (and not sticky) at room temperature. Melt 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips with 3 tablespoons of vegetable shortening in a double boiler over very warm water. Stir to blend. Make sure you do not get even a drop of water or liquid in the chocolate. Then dip the cherry candy as instructed.
How to Store Chocolate-Covered Cherries
Chocolate covered cherries are best stored in a covered container at room temperature.
Do not freeze chocolate covered cherries, as the moisture in them will cause them to expand and crack.
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