Chocolate-Covered Cherries and Cookies and Creme Bonbons

I know this is coming after the holiday candy making season has passed.  I'm posting it now, so I can find it again next year.  These were very rich but very good and very much like the store-bought candy in taste.  This recipe makes a big batch enough from two different candies.  Due to time constraints, I only made the cherries.  If you only wish to use the cream center mix for cherries, I would cut that part of the recipe in half.

Chocolate-Covered Cherries

1 cup butter, melted
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 lbs. confectioners' sugar


For the cherries:

54 maraschino cherries, patted dry (about two2 10 oz. jars.)
1 lb. milk chocolate candy coating, chopped.

In a large bowl, combine butter and milk.
Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until a smooth dough is formed.
(This will be very thick and you want it to be. Add more confectioners' sugar if necessary to get a very firm dough.)
Divide in half; cover with plastic wrap.
Chill for at least an hour so it is easier to handle.
When ready to cover cherries, shape one portion of the inner dough into 1-inch balls which you will then flatten into two-inch circles.
Wrap each circle around a cherry and gently shape into a ball.
(This is messy and some of our cherries looked rather crude but we had lots of fun making them.)
Place on waxed paper.
Place in freezer on cookies sheet making sure each covered cherry doesn't touch another and flash freeze.
When ready to coat with chocolate, melt chocolate carefully on top of the stove or in the microwave as per package directions.
Dip cherries.  Place on cookie sheet to firm. Chill until firm.
Store in refrigerator in air tight container.

If you want to make bonbons out of the second half of the dough, here is a recipe.

Cookies and Creme Bonbons

Half the dough made as directed above.

1/2 cup cream-filled chocolate cookie sandwich crumbs
1 lb. white candy coating, chopped.

Stir cookie crumbs into one half of the dough before chilling.
Shape into 1-inch balls.
Chill or flash freeze to make them easier to handle for dipping.
Melt candy coating as directed on package.
Dip balls into candy; allowing excess to drip off.
Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets.
Chill until firm.

Comments

Popular Posts