Chocolate Cherry Rum Float Food

CHOCOLATE MALTED CHERRY FLOAT

Steps:

• In 4 medium size glasses, place two to three scoops of chocolate ice cream into each. Slowly pour cherry vanilla soda over ice cream and top with chopped malted milk balls and a maraschino cherry. Serve with long spoons and a straw.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY RUM FLOAT

Steps:

• Place 4 float glasses in the freezer to chill.
• Place 1 1/2 ounces of rum in each chilled glass, followed by 2 scoops of ice cream. Top with cream soda. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE WITH RUM GANACHE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set aside.
• 2. In a large bowl stir together cake mix, flour, sugar, drink mix, baking powder and soda. Add oil, eggs, LUCKY LEAF cherry pie filling, sour cream and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be stiff). Fold in chopped sweet chocolate. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Loosen sides and remove from pan. Cool completely.
• 3. For ganache, in a small saucepan heat cream just to boiling. In a medium bowl pour hot cream over bittersweet chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; stir in rum. Place bowl with chocolate in a bowl of ice water and let stand about 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Transfer cake to serving plate. Spread ganache over cake. Let stand 1 hour before serving to set up.

CHOCOLATE RUM-SOAKED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Place cherries in a bowl; cover with rum. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Drain and pat dry., In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Holding stems, dip cherries in chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

CHERRY RUM BALLS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate chips and stir in the rum and corn syrup.
• Stir together the vanilla wafer crumbs, pecans and 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the crumb mixture and stir until blended.
• Shape mixture into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in the remaining confectioners' sugar. Place cherry half in center of each cookie, pressing down lightly. Store in an airtight container for several days to develop flavor.

LIQUOR-INFUSED CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Pour cherries, with their juice, into a glass bowl. Cover cherries with rum. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerate for 1 week.
• Drain and dry rum-infused cherries.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, milk, and maple syrup together in a bowl until smooth and pliable. Wrap each cherry with sugar mixture. Arrange on baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Combine chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons butter, and paraffin wax in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted, about 5 minutes.
• Dip each wrapped cherry into the melted chocolate mixture using a toothpick. Return to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cherries. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until set, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE DR. PEPPER FLOAT

Steps:

• Fill cup with scoops of chocolate ice cream. Pour in Dr. Pepper slowly allowing it to fill the cup. Drink up!

CHOCOLATE CHERRY KID FRIENDLY RUM BALLS

Steps:

• Chop up maraschino cherries, set aside.
• Beat cream cheese with food processor or wooden spoon.
• Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in microwave on medium power for 1 minute at a time until melted; stir lots after each minute to make sure you don't burn it.
• Beat chocolate mixture into cream cheese; Mix in rum, water, cherries and graham wafer crumbs.
• (the amount of water depends on the type of cream cheese you use, if using light add the minimum amount of water).
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• With your hands, roll out about one teaspoon of the mixture at a time into balls.
• Put chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl (such as a cream cheese container), roll rum balls in the sprinkles one at a time.
• Store in refrigerator.
• If you are making these for a gathering/occasion, roll the rum balls the day before or day of, They do keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge, but at that time the chocolate sprinkles do soften slightly.
• Yield: about 80 rum balls.

CHERRY COLA CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring cola and dried cherries to a boil. Remove from the heat; let stand for 30 minutes. , In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, chocolate, baking powder and salt. Combine the chocolate milk, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cherry mixture. Pour into a 3-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray., For topping, in a small saucepan, combine the cola, sugar and brown sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate and rum until smooth. Pour over batter; do not stir., Cover and cook on high until set, 2-2-1/2 hours. Turn off heat; let stand, covered, for 30 minutes. If desired, serve warm with ice cream and maraschino cherries.