Chocolate covered cherries are one of those candies people remember from a grandparent’s candy dish. Making them at home is simple: a soft sugar dough is wrapped around each cherry, then the candy is dipped in melted chocolate. After a week or two the inside turns into the creamy liquid center everyone loves.
Why You’ll Love It
- A real old-fashioned candy.
- No candy thermometer.
- A lovely homemade gift.
What You Need
- 1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries with stems (drained very well)
- 3 tbsp butter (softened)
- 3 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 12 oz chocolate melting wafers (or chocolate chips with 1 tbsp shortening)
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Drain the cherries and dry them on paper towels for at least 1 hour.
- Mix the butter and corn syrup, then stir in the powdered sugar. Knead until a smooth dough forms. Chill 20 minutes.
- Flatten a teaspoon of dough and wrap it around each cherry, leaving the stem out. Chill on parchment for 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate until smooth.
- Hold each cherry by the stem, dip it, let the extra drip off, and set it on parchment. Make sure the chocolate seals around the stem.
- Let them set, then store for 1 to 2 weeks so the centers turn creamy.
Tips
- Dry the cherries well, or the dough will slide off.
- Seal the chocolate all the way to the stem so the filling can’t leak.
- Waiting is the secret. The center softens with time.
Serving and Storing
Store in a covered container in a cool place for up to a month. They can be eaten right away, but the centers will be firmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t my center runny?
It takes 1 to 2 weeks for the sugar to soften around the cherry.
Dark or milk chocolate?
Either. Dark balances the sweet filling nicely.
No stems?
Use a fork or toothpick to dip them.
Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries
Maraschino cherries wrapped in sweet fondant and dipped in chocolate. An old-fashioned Christmas candy that is easier than it looks.
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Ingredients
- 1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries with stems drained very well
- 3 tbsp butter softened
- 3 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 12 oz chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips with 1 tbsp shortening
Instructions
- Drain the cherries and dry them on paper towels for at least 1 hour.
- Mix the butter and corn syrup, then stir in the powdered sugar. Knead until a smooth dough forms. Chill 20 minutes.
- Flatten a teaspoon of dough and wrap it around each cherry, leaving the stem out. Chill on parchment for 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate until smooth.
- Hold each cherry by the stem, dip it, let the extra drip off, and set it on parchment. Make sure the chocolate seals around the stem.
- Let them set, then store for 1 to 2 weeks so the centers turn creamy.
Notes
Resting time for the centers is 1 to 2 weeks.
