Cherry Cordials
HB-6405 · Hand-built original · American, French, French American
Maraschino cherries wrapped in almond-flavoured fondant with invertase and dipped in coating chocolate, then rested for at least 48 hours so the centres liquefy.
American, French, French Americancandy, Dessert1 hr 40 minServes 36149 kcalVegetarianVeganGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeDiabeticLow-SodiumLow Fat / Low CholesterolRenal
Main ingredient: stems
Servings:36quantities adjust to match
Ingredients
- 36 maraschino cherries, (with or without stems)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoon maraschino cherry liquid
- 1 teaspoon invertase
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 24 ounces coating chocolate or almond bark, (chopped)
Method
- Drain the maraschino cherries, saving their liquid, spread the fruit over layers of paper towel and pat each cherry thoroughly dry.
- Combine the water, granulated sugar, light corn syrup and 2 tablespoons of the reserved cherry liquid in a heavy saucepan and bring the fondant syrup to a boil over medium heat, brushing any sugar crystals from the pan rim with a wet pastry brush.
- Cook the syrup on a candy thermometer to 240 to 244°F, the soft ball stage, which takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Pour the hot syrup onto a small greased baking sheet and leave it until it cools to 120°F, roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
- Beat the cooled syrup in a stand mixer with the paddle until it turns opaque and runny, then pack this cherry fondant into a container and refrigerate it until dipping day.
- Warm the fondant gently in the microwave in 20-second bursts or over a double boiler until it flows off a spoon in ribbons, and stir in the invertase and almond extract.
- Dip each dried cherry into the runny fondant, let the excess drip away, wipe its base on the bowl rim and set the coated cherries on a greased sheet until the fondant sets firm, rewarming the fondant as it thickens.
- Melt the coating chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until it pours smoothly.
- Dip just the base of each fondant-coated cherry in the melted chocolate and set the cherries on a parchment-lined sheet until those bottoms set.
- Dip each cherry fully in the chocolate so no fondant shows, set the finished cordials back on the parchment until the shells harden, then store them airtight for at least 48 hours and up to 3 weeks while the invertase liquefies their centres.
Prep: 60 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 100 min
Nutrition (per serving, where published)
149 kcalCalories
1.7 gProtein
22.8 gCarbs
6.6 gFat
3.3 gSaturates
1.2 gFibre
10 gSugars
16 mgSodium
4 mgCholesterol
85 mgPotassium
43 mgCalcium
0.3 mgIron
1 servingServing
Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data