Description
Delicious homemade chocolate covered cherries featuring maraschino cherries wrapped in a smooth fondant made from powdered sugar, butter, and corn syrup, then dipped in a luscious semi-sweet chocolate coating. Perfect for gifting or indulgent treats, these candies develop a rich, syrupy center after aging for a few weeks.
Ingredients
Scale
Cherries
- 40-60 maraschino cherries
Fondant
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
Chocolate Coating
- 1 pound dipping chocolate
- 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon shortening or coconut oil
Instructions
- Prep the Cherries: Decide whether to leave the stems on or remove them based on your preference. Dry the cherries thoroughly on paper towels before wrapping with fondant. Optional: For cherry cordials, soak cherries in brandy or rum up to 24 hours, then dry thoroughly before wrapping.
- Mix the Fondant: Combine butter and corn syrup in a medium bowl and mix by hand until smooth. Sift in powdered sugar and knead until a soft dough forms, similar in consistency to new Play-Doh. Chill the fondant in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Cover the Cherries: Roll about 1½ teaspoons of fondant dough into a small log, flatten it, place a cherry in the center, then roll and pinch the dough around the cherry creating a smooth ball of uniform thickness. Place fondant-covered cherries on parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until firm, about 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours.
- Melt the Chocolate: Using a double boiler or fondue pot, melt dipping chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips with shortening or coconut oil over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
- Dip the Cherries: Dip each chilled fondant-covered cherry individually into the melted chocolate, use a toothpick to remove it from the chocolate and tap off excess. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, covering the toothpick hole immediately with chocolate. Once firm, dip the bottom of each cherry into chocolate for a second thin coating to strengthen the base. Place cherries on parchment or into paper candy cups to set.
Notes
- Make chocolate covered cherries at least two weeks before consuming or gifting to allow the fondant to liquefy inside the chocolate shell.
- Leaving stems on makes dipping easier, but removing stems and using toothpicks results in a cleaner look and better seal.
- Melt chocolate carefully without water to prevent texture issues.
- If using only semi-sweet chocolate chips, add 1 tablespoon of shortening or coconut oil per cup to prevent stickiness.
- Expect leftover chocolate after dipping; store unused chocolate properly.
- Store finished cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month. Do not freeze as moisture can break the chocolate coating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
