Chocolate Christmas Cherries Food

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.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• The day before you want to make the chocolate-covered cherries, drain the cherries from their soaking liquid and reserve 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Pat the cherries dry between sheets of paper towels and let them sit on a wire rack overnight to dry.
• The next day, prepare the fondant filling. In the large bowl of a stand mixer , combine the butter, corn syrup, reserved cherry liquid, almond extract, and liquid invertase, and beat until combined. It is okay if the butter separates at this point-it will all come together soon.
• Stop the mixer and add the confectioners' sugar to the bowl, then mix on low speed until the candy comes together in a ball around the mixing paddle.
• Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated, and check the texture of the candy: it should be quite soft, but not so sticky that you cannot handle it.
• If necessary, add a little more confectioners' sugar to make it workable, but remember: the softer it is, the sooner it will liquefy.
• Use a small candy scoop or a teaspoon to form a quarter-sized ball of fondant, and roll it in your hands to get it round. Flatten the ball between your palms, and place a cherry in the center of the fondant.
• Bring together the outer edges and pinch the fondant together at the top where the stem extends from the cherry. Make sure the cherry is covered completely, then roll it between your palms to smooth out any seams or wrinkles and get it round.
• Place the cherry on a waxed paper-covered baking sheet , then repeat with the remaining cherries until they are all covered with fondant. Refrigerate the tray until the fondant feels firm, at least 30 minutes.
• While you are waiting for the fondant to firm up, melt the chocolate candy melts over medium heat in a double boiler.
• When the fondant is firm, begin the dipping process. Holding a cherry by the stem, dip just the bottom in the chocolate, coming about 1/4-inch up the sides of the cherry. Place the cherry back on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cherries.
• By the time you have finished dipping the bottom of the last cherry, the first cherry will probably be set and ready to be fully dipped. (If not, refrigerate the tray briefly to set the chocolate bottoms.) Hold a cherry by the stem and drag it through the chocolate, coating it completely. Be sure that there is absolutely no fondant showing through. When it is fully covered with chocolate, let the excess drip over the bowl, then gently drag the bottom edge over the lip of the bowl to remove any excess. Replace the cherry on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cherries.
• Set cherries aside at room temperature for 2 to 3 days to allow the centers to begin to liquify. (Cold temperatures will slow down the invertase's work). Test the liquid centers after 2 to 3 days, and continue to monitor their progress via the occasional taste test until the centers have completely liquified.

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CHERRIES

Steps:

• Mix crumbs, sugar and walnuts; set aside. Add boiling water to coffee granules in small bowl; stir until coffee is dissolved. Add margarine and corn syrup; stir until well blended. Add to crumb mixture; mix well.
• Shape about 1 rounded teaspoonful of the crumb mixture around each cherry, leaving stem of cherry uncoated. Place in shallow pan; cover. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Dip cherries, 1 at a time, in chocolate, holding cherries by the stems and turning until completely coated. Place on wire rack set over sheet of wax paper to collect drippings. Refrigerate 30 min. or until firm. Store in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour and cocoa; set aside.
• Beat butter in a med bowl on med speed until softened.
• Add sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Beat until well mixed.
• Beat in egg and vanilla, scraping the side of the bowl.
• Gradually beat in flour mixture.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
• Place 2-inches apart on an ungreased cooking sheet.
• Press down the centers with your thumb.
• Drain cherries, reserving juice.
• Place a cherry in the center of each cookie in the depression you made with your thumb.
• Combine chocolate pieces and condensed milk in a small saucepan.
• Cook and stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted.
• Stir in 4 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice.
• Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate and milk mixture over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry.
• If the frosting is too thick, thin with additional cherry juice.
• Bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until edges of cookie is firm.
• Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.
• Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS MICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Carefully twist Oreo cookies apart. Set aside the ones with the cream filling on them; save plain halves for another use. (You could make crumbs for pie crust).
• In microwave, melt chocolate chip, paraffin and butter; stir until smooth.
• Holding cherry by stem, dip in melted chocolate, then press onto the bottom of a chocolate kiss.
• Place cherry and kiss onto the cream filling of the cookie. Let stem extend over the edge.
• Make ears for your mouse by placing sliced almonds between the cherry and the kiss (before the chocolate sets).
• Place in refrigerator until chocolate sets.
• With green decorative gel, pipe holly leaves on white cream of cookie by the mouse.
• Pipe holly berries between the leaves with the red gel.
• Pipe eyes on each chocolate kiss.
• Store in airtight container at room temperature.
• TIPS:.
• I used Almond Bark instead of the chocolate chips and eliminated the need for shortening.
• Maraschino cherries need to have stems and be well-drained.
• Keep chocolate hot by putting in a bowl over a steaming pan of water.
• I used a teapot, took the lid off and placed my bowl over it after melting chocolate in microwave.
• You can use a clean eyebrow tweezer or something else to grasp the cherries by the stems to dunk in chocolate.
• Make extras because everyone at your party will want one to take home to show around and to use as a pattern to make their own!

CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended.
• Add eggs and almond extract, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture gradually, beating on low speed just until blended. Fold in chips, coconut and cherries.
• Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS MICE (OR ANYTIME MICE)

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and dip a cherriy into the chocolate, holding by the stem ("tail").
• Set cherry on its side on waxed paper. This is the mouse's body and tail.
• While chocolate it still gooey, "glue" on a hershey's kiss to the mouse's body, with the bottom of the kiss touching the cherry and the pointy part pointing out, the opposite direction that the tail is pointing.
• Add sliced almonds in the seam for ears.
• Decorate with icing or red hots for eyes and nose.
• Repeat with the rest of the cherries, etc.