A Holiday MUST!

I'm no food photographer, but it doesn't take a fancy picture to make these look delicious!

















Chocolate Covered Cherries (also known to some as Cherry Cordials)

1/4c butter
2c powdered sugar
1T milk
1/2t vanilla
1/8t almond extract
3 dozen maraschino cherries

Thoroughly cream butter with sugar and milk. Blend in vanilla and almond extract. If mixture is too sticky additional powdered sugar may be added. Mold a small amount around a cherry being careful to completely cover. Placed on wax paper covered tray & set aside (I refrigerate).

Coating: 2c (12oz package) Hershey's Chocolate Chips
2T shortening

Completely melt chips and shortening in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water. Cool stirring occasionally until coating is lukewarm & slightly thickened (98degrees). Dip cherries. Allow coating to become firm at room temperature. Check bottoms. Seal with additional chocolate if necessary. Do not refrigerate. Takes at least 2 days to form cordial.


Brooke's side notes: Anytime the powdered sugar mixture is becoming too sticky I throw it in the fridge for a minute. Be careful not to get your chocolate too hot. Your body temperature is about 98.6 so the chocolate shouldn't even feel real warm to the touch. I buy the cherries with the stems. It's sooooo much easier to dip them if you have something to hold on to. If you want a totally different candy, you can choose to refrigerate these. It isn't traditional chocolate covered cherries but it's still darn good!