My Favorite Chocolate Covered Cherries

These homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries (Cordial Cherries) are better than any that you can buy at the store. The key to these is the addition of almond extract which truly takes the flavor of these up a notch. These are easy to make and only require a few pantry staple ingredients. You can’t beat making these chocolate covered cherries fresh at home. Add these to your Christmas traditions or to your valentines treats for a fun and delicious treat.

‘Tis the season for making all of the Christmas treats, but honestly these Chocolate Covered Cherries, or Cordial Cherries, would make great valentines treats. I’ve been planning this recipe for months, and couldn’t wait to share this one with you. The key to these chocolate covered cherries and what really makes them stand apart is the addition of almond extract. It truly makes these better than any you can get from the store.

When I worked as a food scientist for a chocolate company I made all sorts of different Christmas treats. I learned a lot about the candy making process during those years as a food scientist. The most fun creation we made was a chocolate that was filled with wine.

To be honest, I’m not a fan of wine, but the concept of the Christmas treats was really neat! A sugar solution was made, then wine was added into the mixture. This solution was deposited into a starch mold and allowed to sit undisturbed for some time. The starch formed a shell with the liquid wine inside. This was then dipped into tempered chocolate. They were time consuming to make, and a bit of a challenge. I’ve not attempted those since, but they were fun to make!

Okay, back to these chocolate covered cherries, or cordial cherries. These chocolate covered cherries were fun to make also, but honestly, they were so easy to make! The hardest part, in my opinion, was waiting for the cherries and fondant to get cold in the freezer and fridge.

The details

The components

There are three separate components for these chocolate covered cherries – the maraschino cherries, the fondant filling, and the chocolate shell.

Maraschino Cherries

The easiest way to make these cordial cherries is to use maraschino cherries with the stem on. You can certainly make them without the stem, but I think the stem makes it way easier to dunk them in the chocolate.

In this recipe, I used the maraschino cherries as is. However, if you want to make a more adult version, you can soak the cherries in an alcohol overnight, such as bourbon. Just pour the cherry juice out, then replace the juice with the alcohol. Allow the cherries to soak overnight, then proceed with the recipe.

fondant

The fondant filling is a stiffer fondant that is made, of course, mostly from sugar. However, the fondant has a key ingredient in it that truly takes the flavor of these up a notch – almond extract.

The sweet filling liquifies after a few days to create a juicy filling in these chocolate covered cherries. After making this fondant, it is chilled in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This helps the fondant to become more firm and less sticky to work with.

chocolate shell

I don’t have a chocolate tempering machine, and just feel it is easiest to make these chocolate covered cherries using chocolate melting wafers. The chocolate wafers are easy to melt and I have not had any issues with blooming. The brand I used which I think tastes absolutely delicious, is Ghirardelli.

Ingredients

These chocolate covered cherries only require a handful of ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

• maraschino cherries, stems on
• Confectionery Fondant
  • powdered sugar
  • vegetable shortening
  • heavy cream
  • vanilla extract
  • almond extract
• Chocolate coating
• dark or milk chocolate melting wafers

Here’s how to make these Chocolate Covered Cherries

Imagine giving your friend, loved one or neighbor a box of homemade cordial cherries. They will truly be impressed.

drain the cherries

As mentioned above, you can choose to soak the cherries in alcohol if desired, for a more adult version. Just soak the cherries overnight in your alcohol of choice.

To begin making these cordial cherries, you’ll drain the cherry juice (or alcohol if you chose to do that) from the cherries. Place the cherries onto paper towels and pat dry.

Place the cherries on a parchment paper lined quarter sheet pan and place in the freezer for 1 hour. The cold cherries will be easier to wrap with the fondant.

make the fondant

I recommend making the fondant using your stand mixer, or a handheld mixer. In your bowl, add all ingredients then beat until smooth and combined. The dough will be stiff, but still slightly sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. This will make the fondant easier to work with and less sticky.

wrap the cherries

Now, it’s time to wrap the cherries! Grab a small piece of the cold fondant and wrap around one of the cherries. This recipe should yield roughly 25-30 cherries. The fondant doesn’t need to be paper thin around the cherries. You need just enough to be able to appropriately cover the cherries. Some of mine were a little thicker than others, so don’t worry about making them all exactly the same.

After wrapping the fondant around the cherries, roll the fondant wrapped cherries between your palms to achieve a smooth, round fondant wrapped cherry. You want the cherries to be as smooth and round as you can get them (doesn’t have to be entirely perfect, just avoid large bumps), because this is what the chocolate will cover. Any bumps will be evident.

chill the wrapped cherries

The fondant wrapped cherries get chilled one more time, in the freezer for 30 minutes. This helps the fondant from melting off when it is dunked into the warm, melted chocolate.

dip the cherries in the chocolate

After the final chill time, it’s time to dunk the fondant wrapped cherries into the chocolate. In a small bowl, melt the chocolate melting wafers. You can use either dark or milk chocolate. I chose to use dark.

Get a clean sheet of parchment paper and place on a quarter sheet pan. Dip the cherries into the chocolate, then place on the clean parchment paper.

allow the cherries to sit a few days

Now, this is probably the hardest part – waiting for the cherries to “ripen”. Cordial cherries are known for having a delicious ooey gooey liquid center. In order to achieve that, the cordial cherries need to sit for a few days to get that liquid center. It can take up to a week, but I’ve noticed the filing starting to get a little bit of gooey center around day 3. So, if you must and are really craving to eat one, you can try one around day 3. Just know the center won’t be fully liquid.

What if my fondant is soft and sticky to work with?

This fondant is still slightly sticky after sitting in the fridge for an hour. It should be almost like a dough that you can shape it, but will still be slightly sticky. I recommend moistening your hands with some water, or spraying with nonstick cooking spray. It also helps to wash your hands after every few that you wrap to prevent more fondant getting stuck on your hands. It can be a little messy, but trust me it is worth it!

If the fondant seems too loose, you can add a touch more powdered sugar to make the fondant more stiff.

If you enjoy making Christmas treats, check out my homemade candy cane recipe!

• Homemade Candy Canes

Here are a few other Christmas recipe ideas

• Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls (like Cinnabon)
• Soft 1-hour cinnamon rolls
• Nutella Star Bread
• Easy Pear Tarte Tatin

Let me know what you thought!

If you make these chocolate covered cherries (cordial cherries) for delicious Christmas treats, or for valentines treats, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I absolutely love reading all of your comments! Also, make sure to snap a picture and tag me @simplebakingwithpep on instagram. It truly makes my day to see all of your wonderful creations.

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