Chocolate Covered Drunken Cherries 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 COVERED DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Place the dried cherries in a coating pan attached to a stand mixer. Spin at low speed. Using a ladle, add the chocolate to the spinning cherries. Add one ladleful at a time until the cherries are coated to the desired thickness. (Use a 50/50 ratio (50 percent chocolate, 50 percent weight of the cherries.) If a thicker coat is desired, use more chocolate and vice versa.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres):
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

DRUNKEN CHERRIES

Steps:

• Start by removing cherries from the cherry juice. Put in a jar that has a lid.
• Pour in your cup of alcohol, and seal the jar. Soak cherries for 4 hours to overnight. The longer the cherries soak in the alcohol the stronger it will become.
• Remove cherries from the alcohol and place them on a towel to dry off. This step is needed so the chocolate can stick to the cherries.
• Then in a bowl melt your chocolate and shortening. I did mine in the microwave.
• Dip each cherry in chocolate and then set to dry on parchment paper. If you want add sprinkles!

DRUNKEN CHERRIES

Steps:

• Rinse the cherries and pick out any bruised, soft or damaged fruit.
• Use a pair of kitchen sheers to trim the stems to about 1/2" long.
• Pack the cherries into a jar, filling it tightly and to the top.
• Use a funnel to fill the jar about 1/3 of the way with sugar.
• Fill the jar to the top with vodka and seal the lid on tightly.
• Shake and roll the jar in your hands until the sugar has dissolved.
• Place the jar in a cool dark spot for at least two weeks or longer (My friend Nola goes a full six months). Shake or roll the jar every so often a few times if you're going with a shorter soak and at least once a month if you're going for longer.

DRUNKEN CHERRIES

Steps:

• Drain liquid from the jar of cherries. (Tip: reserve the liquid to use for shirley temple drinks or cocktails.)
• Pour alcohol in the jar to fill. Replace cap and soak for at least 24 hours. The longer they soak, the stronger they'll be.
• Drain the alcohol from the jar. (Tip: reserve it for cocktails!) Strain the cherries, then place them on layers of paper towels and pat dry. You want them as dry as possible before dipping to avoid ruining the chocolate. (Water and chocolate don't mix.)
• Work in batches: melt 2 ounces of chocolate in a small bowl. (I like using paper bowls for easy cleanup.) Melt according to package directions. Dip each cherry in the white chocolate, then dip in sprinkles and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill to set. Working in batches of chocolate allows you not to waste any, plus allows for the chocolate to seize from the liquid without ruining the whole batch. Use a new bowl for each batch of chocolate you melt.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE COVERED DRUNKEN CHERRIES

Steps:

• 1. *If you have moonshine cherries, pour the juice into another container and save for another use. Place cherries on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. If the cherries have stems leave them on.
• 2. Use paper towels to dry off cherries as much as possible.
• 3. In large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream butter until light and fluffy. Add salt and vanilla. Gradually add some of the sugar and condensed milk, beating after each addition. Continue until all sugar and milk are incorporated. Chill well.
• 4. Place a small amount of sugar mixture in the palm of your hand and flatten into a small circle. Place a cherry in the center and shape into a ball covering the cherry with sugar mixture.
• 5. Place each cherry on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. When desired number of cherries are wrapped put cookie sheet into the freezer while you melt the chocolate for dipping. (Freeze for at least 30 minutes.)
• 6. Melt chocolate according to package directions. The cold cherries will cause the chocolate to thicken so add some crisco or cooking wax, a little at a time, to thin the chocolate for easy coating.
• 7. Hold cherries by the stem, or using a fork, toothpick, or spoon and dip the cherries in chocolate and put back on waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.
• 8. If you like a thick chocolate coating, dip cherries a second time after the first coat has hardened.
• 9. Make your own drunken cherries by pouring the cherry juice out of the jar and saving it for another use. Pour Everclear into jar and cover cherries. Let sit for 2-4 months. It can sit longer if desired. After using cherries reserve Everclear cherry juice for another use or add more cherries.