Friday, November 11, 2011

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Never buy them again, you must make them because that is the only way to have them.

The recipe calls for:

60 maraschino cherries (drain really well and de-stem if necessary)
3 T butter ( do not substitute)
3 T Light Corn Syrup (the clear kind)
2 C Powdered Sugar
1 package (14 oz) Wilton Candy Melts

Before I get into the making of the cherries I used a large jar I got at Sam's. They are bigger and sweeter. The label says 170 but I had 162 cherries in the jar. For all of them I used 2 sticks butter, 2 lb package powdered sugar, and a small jar of syrup. I used 2.5 bags candy melts in Light Cocoa flavor. I find candy melts make a much prettier and better cherry than almond bark.

If you don't have one of these Wilton candy melt melters, get yourself one, they are $20 at Walmart and are so much better than a double boiler.


I also like the spoon in the Wilton candy maker set it works perfect for the cherries.


Get out your cookies sheets and line with waxed paper. Make sure you have room in the frig for them to sit for about 30 minutes twice.

I like to use tins rather than any other container to keep the cherries in while they are making. I line them really well with wax paper and put a layer or two of wax paper in between each layer. Store them in the attic or garage or anywhere where it will be about 35-40 degrees. You don't want them to freeze but they need to be cool to juice up. It takes about 3 weeks to juice. Do not put them in the frig they wont juice up.


You need to drain the cherries really well and de-stem if they have the stems still on them. It does not hurt to drain them overnight, they will have more juice in them than you think.

Mix the powdered sugar, butter and corn syrup until you have a kind of clay, marzipan consistency. It helps to let the butter sit out overnight and get soft.

Take a bit of white dough and wrap it around a cherry, cover as much as possible. This will turn to the liquid juice. Put them on the cookie sheet. When you get a sheet full put them in the frig for about 30 minutes to set.



When you are working on your last sheet of cherries put the Candy melts in whatever you are using to melt them and get them started. If you are using the Wilton melter you can let it sit and stay melted for a long time.

Cover the entire cherry and make sure every bit of it has chocolate on it and put it back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet. When you have a sheet full put it back in the frig to let the chocolate set and take the next sheet out. Continue til all cherries have been covered in chocolate.


Once the cherries have set in the frig for about half an hour take them out and make sure the chocolate has set. Then pack them in containers to set for at least 3 weeks. I usually try one after a week and then two weeks and then three weeks to make sure they juicing and then they are ready.

Bet you can't eat just one.

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