Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries


Every year, someone gives my grandma a box of chocolate covered cherries for Christmas.  She loves them, especially the Queen Anne brand.  It seems like each year, we raise the stakes and the cost of these cherries that we buy here gets higher and higher.  We try to get the most gourmet cherries you've ever tasted.  this year, I decided to make her 4 different types of chocolate covered cherries.  This recipe is for true chocolate covered cherries.  This means that they have sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, so this is the recipe I made first.

Ingredients
60 maraschino cherries with stems (about 2 10-ounce jars)
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
one package of chocolate CandiQuik or melting chocolate

First, drain the cherries.  I saved the juice because...well, it's delicious.  But you won't be using the juice in this recipe, so do with it what you like.  Set the cherries on a paper towel and pat them dry; set them off to the side.  


Combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt.  Mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.  I got busy and actually left mine overnight.  :)


Dip the cherries into the mixture, making sure to coat each cherry.  Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least one hour.  I got busy and let mine sit for about 3 hours, and they were fine.  So don't feel bad if you can't do this all in one day.  It took me about three days to finally make mine.  :)

Microwave the chocolate according to the instructions on the packaging.


Holding onto the stem, dip each cherry into the chocolate and set them on wax paper to dry.  It helps to use a spoon because you need to make sure each cherry is completely covered in chocolate or the candy will leak out.  Refrigerate until hardened.  Store in a covered container and refrigerate for 1-2 weeks before serving.



They are best if served at room temperature.  They turned out amazing!!  :)  I'll post the other recipes as I make them.

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