Chocolate-Covered Cherries

These are the classic holiday candy with the magic trick inside: a fondant-wrapped maraschino cherry dipped in chocolate that gradually turns to liquid syrup over a week or two in the pantry. The trick is invertase, an enzyme often found in corn syrup and fondant sugar that slowly converts sucrose to liquid glucose and fructose, breaking down the sugar coating from solid to flowing.

You do not have to buy invertase specifically. This old-school recipe relies on the small amount naturally present in light corn syrup, plus the moisture wicking from the cherry itself, to work the same magic slower over two weeks.

Chef Tips

• Dry the cherries thoroughly before wrapping. Any surface moisture keeps the fondant from adhering and you will have bare cherries swimming inside their chocolate shells.
• Keep stems on the cherries. They are the handle for dipping and nobody likes digging a stem-free cherry out of a cup of chocolate.
• Never add liquid to the melting chocolate as the directions warn. Even a drop of water will seize the chocolate into a gritty paste instantly.
• Temper the chocolate properly if you want the glossy snap of professional candies. Melt two-thirds to 115F (46C), pull off heat, stir in the remaining third, cool to 88F (31C), then dip.

Variations

• Use dark chocolate instead of milk for a less sweet, more dessert-grown-up candy.
• Add a teaspoon of kirsch or amaretto to the fondant for a boozy, grown-up filling.
• Roll the dipped cherries in chopped pistachios or toasted almonds before the chocolate sets for a textured finish.