National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day

During many holidays throughout the year, National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day is originated on January 3rd every year. It is said National Confections Association recognizes that National Chocolate Covered Cherry day as an annual event.

Chocolate covered cherries are special chocolate candies. They are a classic candy recipe. The candy is the perfect combination of soft, juicy cherries and the sweetness of dark chocolate. This candy inside is a dried cherry fruit, the outside is covered with a soft chocolate layer. Candy makers also often make the candy with a sweet liquid center and in some cases a liqueur filling. Chocolate covered cherry devotees often can’t just eat one of these candies because of their amazing taste. Chocolate covered cherries can be bought either sweet shop or homemade.

In England, Chocolate covered cherries were made with a little kirsch liqueur during the 1700s. After they came to the United States, Americans begin delighting in the little alcohol around the chocolate dipped fruit. Although originally made with liqueur, cider or chocolate covered cherries are often made with cherry flavored sugar syrup. Nowadays, chocolate covered cherries become popular around the world with many signature flavors.

There are several ways to celebrate this sweet food holiday. You can go to a favorite chocolate shop and pick up this candy. Be sure to get enough to eat and share them with your friends. On the other hand, you can make some candies at home. Many people have created many different recipes; you can choose a few to try. Here is a recipe you can refer.

Staring off with the necessary ingredients:

• 40 cherries with stems
• ¼ cup of butter, softened at room temperature
• 1-tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons reserve cherry liquid (can substitute cherry liqueur)
• ½-teaspoon almond extract (depending your taste)
• 1-teaspoon liquid invertase (or brandy)
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifed
• 500 gram of melted chocolate sweetness ½

Let us go to make our chocolate covered cherry step by step!

Step 1. Drying cherries overnight

The day before you want to make chocolate covered cherries, remove 40 cherries from the soaking solution and save some of the soaking liquid for the filling. Pat them dry between sheets of paper towels and leave them on a rack overnight to dry. Having dried cherries makes it easier to from chocolate covered cherries and they will be very juicy in the final product.

Step 2. Make the melted filling wrap the cherries

The next day, we proceed to prepare the filling. Bring ¼ cup of butter, 1-tablespoon light corn syrup, 2 tablespoons reserve cherry liquid, ½-teaspoon almond extract, 1-teaspoon liquid invertase in a mixer and beat until they are perfectly blended. Add the powdered sugar into the mix, then mix on low speed until the candies form a sticky paste around the blades. To make sure everything is well combined, you should scrape the bottom of the bowl. Check the texture od the fondant, it should be fairly soft, but not so sticky that you can’t handle it. At this point, you should start shaping the cherries right way – do not wait hours or days between this step and the next.

Step 3: Wrap fondant around the cherries

Use a small scoop of candy or a teaspoon to form a quarter – sized fondant, and roll them up with your hands, Place the candies between the palms and squeeze them into a round dish about 5 cm. Place a cherry in the center of the candy layer. Wrap the cherries in fondant so that the fondant layer covers the cherries evenly. Make sure that no cherries are exposed. Roll fondant-covered cherries between palms to smooth out seams or wrinkles and create a round shape. The cherries should be place on a baking tray covered with wax paper, then repeat with the rest of the cherries until they are covered with fondant.

Step 4. Chilling fondant-covered cherries

Because the candy that covers the cherries is quite soft, it needs to be refrigerated before you can dip the chocolate. Refrigerate tray until fondant hardens, at least 30 minutes. While you wait for the candy to solidify, let the chocolate cool and prepare a spot in the kitchen to dip the cherries. If you don’t want to ferment the chocolate, you should use a chocolate candy coating instead od real untemper chocolate. Unpreserved chocolate will soften at room temperature and is not a good choice for this type of candy.

Step 5. Dip the bottom of the cherry in chocolate

Once the filling is hard, start the chocolate dipping process. Bring 500 gram of melted chocolate sweetness ½ into the bowl. We just dip the bottom of the cherries first to help prevent leaks later on. Hold a cherry by dipping the bottom in the chocolate, up to about 0.5 cm up the edges of the cherry. Place the cherries back on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the cherries. You should double dip the bottom to ensure a solid coating and reduce the chance of the chocolate cherries leaking.

Step 6. Dip the whole cherry in the chocolate

Once you have finished dipping the bottom of the last cherries, the first cherries are probably dry and ready to dip completely. If not, put the tray in the fridge briefly to let the chocolate dry. Dip the cherries in the chocolate so that the cherries are completely covered. Make sure that absolutely no core is exposed. It is better to coat the stem with some chocolate, run out past the top where the stem extends out of the chocolate. Place cherries on baking tray and repeat until all cherries are covered with chocolate.

Step 7. Wait for the softener to liquefy

Although cherries can be enjoyed while the chocolate is still hard, to get the liquid center you will have to wait from a few days to a few weeks. Depend on the strength of your inverse, set up the exact time. Store cherries at warm room temperature during this time, the cold will slow down inverters activity. You can start testing the cherries after 2 – 3 days and continue to monitor their progress through occasional taste testing until the cherries are liquid.

Your chocolate covered cherries are done! Spend a weekend with your little ones and make this delicious chocolate covered cherry candy. Further more, on the National chocolate covered cherry day, let make it and deliver some chocolate covered cherries to your friends, your neighbors, and post it on medial social such as facebook and instagram with hashtag #ChocolateCoveredCherryDay! Good luck! Have a great chocolate covered cherry day!