Cherry Cordials Recipe

a cherry cordial candy on a white plate.

4.84 from 156 reviews

You can make classic Cherry Cordials at home. Cherries, Kirschwasser, and dark chocolate come together for the ultimate candy treat.

Prep Time2

Bake Time10

Total Time2 10

Servings:36 candies

Ingredients

16 oz maraschino cherries (with stems)
4 oz Kirschwasser (½ cup)
16 oz granulated sugar (2 cups)
4 oz water (½ cup)
2 ¾ oz light corn syrup (¼ cup)
16 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions

Drain 16 oz maraschino cherries, reserving the liquid. Place the cherries back in the jar and pour 4 oz Kirschwasser over the cherries. Add as much of the reserved liquid as needed to completely cover the cherries. Don't discard the rest of the cherry liquid yet. Close the jar and set it aside for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
Have a food processor set up near the stove. Combine 16 oz granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of the reserved maraschino cherry liquid, 4 oz water and 2 ¾ oz light corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Do not stir the syrup once it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to medium high. Dip a pastry brush in water to clean any splatters from the sides of the pan. Place a thermometer into the syrup and boil until the temperature reaches 240 °F.
Remove the pot from the heat and immediately pour the syrup into the food processor. Rinse the thermometer to remove any sugar crystals and set the thermometer into the syrup. Do not disturb the syrup as it cools.
Allow the syrup to cool between 130 °F- 140 °F. Remove the thermometer. Process the syrup for 3-4 minutes until it thickens and becomes opaque.
Pour the fondant into a microwave safe container. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of water over the fondant to cover the surface. This will prevent it from forming a crust. Cover the container and set aside for several hours or overnight.
Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. Drain the cherries and thoroughly blot them dry with paper towels. The drier the cherries, the better the fondant will adhere.
Warm the fondant in the microwave in 10 second increments until it is a little warmer than body temperature and loosens up enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon. Don't let the fondant get warmer than 160 °F or you'll loose the crystals.
Use the stem to lift a cherry and dip it into the fondant, covering the cherry up to the stem. Hold the cherry over the bowl to allow the excess fondant to drip back into the bowl. Set the cherry onto one of the lined sheet pans. Continue dipping all the cherries. You may need to rewarm the fondant if it becomes too thick to dip. You can sprinkle a few drops of water to loosen up the fondant if needed. Don't add too much water or the fondant won't stick to the cherries. Set the cherries aside to dry while you temper the chocolate. Visit this post to see how to temper chocolate.
Lift a cherry by the stem and dip it into the tempered chocolate, covering all the fondant and going a little up the base of the stem. Hold the cherry over the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.
Set the cherry onto the other lined sheet pan. Continue dipping all the cherries. Allow the chocolate set completely before packing the cherries into a covered container. Store at room temperature. The fondant layer needs a couple of days to melt and become the cordial syrup. Wait at least 2-3 days before serving.

Video

Notes

The Kirschwasser not only adds the "cordial" to the candy, but it also turns the fondant into a syrup. If you don't want to use alcohol, add 1/4 teaspoon Invertase to the fondant. The invertase will break down the crystals in the fondant, turning it into a syrup just like the alcohol does.

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