Chocolate Covered Cherries Recipe

[Glutenfreefamily]

3 cups sugar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

60 maraschino cherries with stems (do not use fresh cherries)

24 ozs enjoy life chocolate chips

shortening or margarine ( I used smart balance light)

Preparing the fondant- Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a saucepan. Using wooden spoon stir gently over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely and syrup comes to a boil.

Using a candy thermometer cook the syrup, WITHOUT stirring, until it reaches 240 degrees (soft ball)

Immediately pour the hot syrup in the prepared 13x9 pan. Let the syrup cool undisturbed until the bottom of the pan feels lukewarm to the touch. Using another wooden spoon stir the mixture till it forms a ball. Some fondant may stick to the pan. Seal the ball into a 1 gallon plastic bag removing as much air as possible. Let fondant rest for 1 minute before continuing. With the fondant sealed in the bag roll the candy with the heel of your hand pressing down towards the counter. Continue this till fondant look smooth and creamy and feels like a firm cookie dough (around 10 minutes). Set fondant aside. wrapped in plastic.

(The fondant can be made up to a week ahead of time and kept well wrapped in fridge)

Drain the cherries, reserve the liquid. Place cherries on paper towel to absorb excess liquid. grease or put margarine on a cookie sheet line with wax paper and set it aside.

Place fondant in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. stir fondant until it melts. Stir gently until it reaches 150 degrees. Turn off heat.

Stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of reserved cherry liquid to give the fondant a pink color and a cherry flavor. Should the fondant fall below 150 degrees slight simmer while stirring till it reaches 150 again.

Dip cherries by the stem and quickly dip in melted fondant (avoid getting it on the stem) place it on the prepared cookie sheet. Stir fondant occasionally while dipping them. If fondant is to thick add more cherry liquid 1 tablespoon at a time.

Melt 12 ozs chocolate in double boiler, when chocolate is melted remove top from the bottom and add the remaining chocolate chips and stir till smooth. The optimal temp is 88 to 90 degrees, either put it back on the pan if needed or let it cool till then. Hold the cherry by the stem and dip it in the chocolate and place on waxed cookie sheet and do the rest of them. Let sit at room temp for 2 hours and then place in the refrigerator overnight or 8 to 10 hours as the chocolate hardens and the fondant liquefies.

Store in covered container for up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.

[blueeyedmanda]

Thanks for sharing, this sounds like a very good recipe for my chocolate craving days.

[JNBunnie1]

Y'know, that looks really good, but I'm way too lazy for all that work. I took Enjoy life choc chips, melted them, stirred in a bit of shortening, and dipped strawberries in that. Way easier, and even better than godiva, because the chocolate doesn't break apart and off the berry when you bite in, it stays stuck on the berry. You're much more adventurous than I.

[Glutenfreefamily]

Manda- I hope you like it too!

Bunnie- If split into two days. Fondant cooked one day and the other made the next its not much time at all. Written out it looks much more difficult than it is. I like chocolate covered strawberries too but I love the creamy center of the chocolate covered cherries.