Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

Chocolate covered cherries have always been one of my favorite treats, but homemade chocolate covered cherries are even better!

My love of these cherries all began in my early childhood. Every Christmas, my mother would buy my Nana a large box of them.

I couldn’t wait until Christmas day so that she could open the box and share them with us.

There is just something about taking a bite into a crunchy chocolate covered ball that is filled with a sweet maraschino cherry and a creamy filling that flows down onto your tongue.

Cherry Cordials

There is often confusion about the terms between chocolate covered cherries and cherry cordials.

In the most basic form, chocolate covered cherries could mean just that – plain cherries dipped in melted chocolate.

However, when most of us think about classic chocolate covered cherries, we think of the boxed varieties labeled cherry cordials.

It’s that creamy filling around a whole cherry that is held together by a crispy milk chocolate coating that we imagine.

The filling that surrounds the cherry is a mix between a creamy and liquid texture. It is nice and sweet and compliments the cherry flavor perfectly.

Although the term cordial refers to liquor infused products, you will rarely find a true liquor based cherry cordial product. And definitely not at your local grocery store.

Centuries ago, cherries would be soaked in liquor prior to be made into these popular candies. Today, they are soaked in a sugar mixture instead.

Making Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

So why make homemade chocolate covered cherries?

The answer to that is quite simple – because everything tastes so much better when it is homemade!

Although the entire process of making homemade chocolate covered cherries is long, most of the time involves long periods of waiting.

You must wait for the filling to chill, and you must wait for the cherries to freeze. Both of these steps are crucial in the success of your homemade chocolate covered cherries.

You must work with very cold ingredients to make the assembly process go smoothly.

In fact, I sometimes work with half of the batch and keep the other ingredients in the refrigerator and freezer.

Another hint for this recipe – use additional powdered sugar when rolling the filling around the cherry.

It can become sticky and rolling it in the powdered sugar will prevent it from sticking to your hands.

But once you get the hang of it, it is an easy process.

**There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

*yields approximately 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups powdered sugar

1⁄4 cup butter

1⁄4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch salt

maraschino cherry, stems on and drained

candy coating milk chocolate disks

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients until well blended and smooth. Place the filling in the refrigerator until firm.

2. Spread out the drained cherries on a cookie sheet and pat dry with a paper towel. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

3. Scoop out about 1-2 teaspoon of filling in the palm of your hand and form a disc shape. Indent the center and place the cherry in the center.

Flip the cherry and let the filling fall over the top of the cherry. Pinch and form into a ball around a cherry. Repeat for the remaining cherries. *Hint – rolling the dough in powdered sugar will help it form easier.

4. Place the covered cherry on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for 1 hour after you have formed them all.

5. Melt dipping chocolate in a double broiler. Holding the cherry stem dip the cherry in the chocolate.  Place it on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining cherries. Chill in the refrigerator until chocolate is hard.

Place in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Check out our other favorite sweet treat recipes here: Cookie Tray Recipes 

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

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