Chocolate Covered Cherries

  My daughter Amy and I indulged in a cookie and candy making day recently and tried this recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherries. They were the simplest thing we made that day. I am making another batch this week to give away and might have to make some for us as ours are gone.

  The recipe is from the 2010 Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. I did some changing to the recipe mostly in the chocolate coating. The recipe calls for chocolate bark which I detest and I used a chocolate coating that I always have good luck with. That is the recipe I am going to give you. For the other you will have to buy the book.

  A couple of tips to keep in mind. The center filling is not a true fondant. I added some Amaretto to the filling as it does not call for any flavoring. Just enough so the filling is easy to knead. The cherries must sit on paper towels and dry. It is important that they are dry so the cherry juice doesn’t make your filling too runny. When you are ready to wrap the cherry I found it worked to take your ¾ teaspoon of filling, flatten it with your fingers till thin enough to wrap around the cherry. Just wrap it up making sure that you are around the stem if using long stemmed cherries. Then they have to dry till the filling is dry to the touch. Hold them by the stem and dip them in the chocolate. If they don’t cover completely use a spoon to drizzle chocolate on them. 

  I melt the chocolate in a bowl over just simmering water. Take from heat and keeping it over the water let it cool. I melted the chocolate as soon as I covered the cherries with the filling and the chocolate was just right to use. If it is too hot, it will melt the filling as you dip them. Use a good grade of cherries, Sue and I use Star brand we buy at Costco. If you are going to do these, the small jars at your local grocery store just are too sweet. The type you use in cocktails is what you want. 

Chocolate Covered Cherries

20 ounces or 40 marachino cherries

3 tablespoons butter (softened, just till it will bend, about 20 minutes)

3 tablespoons white corn syrup

2 cups powdered sugar

6 ounces milk chocolate chips (I use Hershey brand)

1 tablespoon all vegetable shortening like Crisco

  Let cherries stand on paper towels and drain for 2 hours, change paper towels halfway through. Longer won’t hurt them. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

  In a medium bowl, combine butter, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. A very little flavoring of your choice, just enough to make the filling easy to handle. Knead it until smooth. Using ¾ teaspoon each wrap around each cherry and let sit until dry to the touch. Chilling them will speed this up. Mine took about an hour.

  Meanwhile melt the chocolate and Crisco over warm water. Let cool. Taking the cherries by the stems, dip in chocolate let drip over the bowl and place on wax paper. Let stand till the coating is firm. Stored in the refrigerator they will keep for up to 1 month. The longer you keep them the more the mixture around the cherries will soften and liquefy.