Chocolate Cherry Cordial Muffins Recipes

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Drain cherries and set on paper towels to dry.
• In a medium bowl, combine butter and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar and knead to form a dough. Chill to stiffen if necessary. Wrap each cherry in about 1 teaspoon of dough. Chill until firm.
• Melt confectioners' coating in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Dip each cherry in by its stem, and place on waxed paper lined sheets. Chill until completely set. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Best after 1 or 2 weeks.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CORDIAL MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Grease 12 muffin pan cups or line with paper liners.
• In large bowl, combine flour, 1 3/4 cups chocolate morsels, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Stir in cherries.
• In small bowl, combine milk, oil, and egg until well blended.
• Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients; stir just until moistened.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups until full.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate morsels.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden.
• Cool in pan 10 minutes.
• Remove from pan; serve warm or cool completely on wire rack.

CHERRY CORDIALS

Steps:

• Drain the maraschino cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Place the cherries back in the jar and pour the Kirschwasser over the cherries. Close the jar and set it aside for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
• Have a food processor set up near the stove. Combine the sugar, reserved maraschino cherry liquid, water and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Do not stir the syrup once it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to medium high. Dip a pastry brush in water to clean any splatters from the inside of the pan. Place a candy or probe thermometer into the syrup and boil until the temperature reaches 240°F.
• Remove the pot from the heat and immediately pour the syrup into the food processor. Rinse the thermometer to remove any sugar crystals and set the thermometer into the syrup. Do not disturb the syrup as it cools.
• Allow the syrup to cool to 120°F. Remove the thermometer. Process the syrup for 3-4 minutes until it thickens and becomes opaque.
• Pour the fondant into a microwave safe container. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of water over the fondant to cover the surface. This will prevent it from forming a crust. Cover the container and set aside for several hours or overnight.
• Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Drain the cherries and blot them dry with paper towels.
• Warm the fondant in 20 second increments until it is a little warmer than body temperature and loosens up enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon. Don't let the fondant get warmer than 160°F or you'll loose the crystals.
• Use the stem to lift a cherry and dip it into the fondant, covering the cherry up to the stem. Hold the cherry over the bowl to allow the excess fondant to drip back into the bowl. Set the cherry onto one of the lined sheet pans. Continue dipping all the cherries. You may need to rewarm the fondant if it becomes too thick to dip. You can sprinkle a few drops of water to loosen up the fondant if needed. Don't add too much water or the fondant won't stick to the cherries. Set the cherries aside to dry while you temper the chocolate. Visit this post to see how to temper chocolate.
• Lift a cherry by the stem and dip it into the chocolate, covering all the fondant and going a little up the base of the stem. Hold the cherry over the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.
• Set the cherry onto the other lined sheet pan. Continue dipping all the cherries. Allow the chocolate set completely before packing the cherries into a covered container. Store at room temperature. The fondant layer needs a couple of days to melt and become the cordial syrup. Wait at least 2 days before serving

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove 2 tablespoons of cherry juice from the pot and place in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch until thoroughly combined. Add cornstarch mixture to the pot and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove compote from heat and cool completely. Measure out 1 cup for the cupcake batter. Reserve remaining compote, about 6 tablespoons, for the frosting.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line or grease two standard 12-cup muffin tins.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour in 1/2 of the sour cream and cooled coffee; mix until just combined.
• Continue alternating additions of the flour mixture with sour cream and coffee, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until batter is smooth. Do not overmix. Gently fold in 1 cup cherry compote. Fill each prepared muffin cup 2/3 full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the tins for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare cherry buttercream while the cupcakes are cooling. Beat butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of cherry compote and beat on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Repeat twice more with remaining cherry compote, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream and beat until frosting is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread or pipe frosting over the cooled cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY NUT MUFFINS

Steps:

• In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, BP and salt.
• Stir in the zest, chips and almonds.
• Combine the mixture well and stir in the chopped cherries.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, butter and egg.
• Add this to the flour mixture.
• Stir until batter is just combined.
• Fill sprayed muffin cups.
• Bake at 400 deg. for 20-25 minutes.
• Makes 15 muffins.