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heart and chocolate dome

Delectable White Chocolate Covered Cherries

dana vento
White chocolate is sophisticated. Pristine. Divine. Savory. Light. Decadent. Delectable. 
Cherries covered in white chocolate are an assault of richness and flavor.
My delectable white chocolate covered cherries are deceptively simple to create in your own kitchen. 
Each bite of a chocolate-covered cherry is packed with flavor. 
Rather than the typical dark chocolate covered cherries, these are smooth and enlivened by the exterior shell. 
Blissful. Intense Preservative-free. High Quality. Bite-size and beautifully presented.
Delectable white chocolate covered cherries are smartly-paired to satisfy your sweet tooth. 
The quintessential recipe you want to create for Valentine's Day as your own signature masterpiece. 
To best style your perfectly-portioned delectable white chocolate covered cherries, I'll also share how to meticulously showcase your craft! 

Delectable White Chocolate Covered Cherries 

Cheat days are a must. The holidays are perfect for that chat day. 
Valentine's is the answer to the New Year's Resolution. 
For those of you who dedicated yourself to "I gotta eat better" this is your official cheat day!
I love Valentine's Day as I celebrate it with my Gal friends, affectionately known as 'Galentine's Day!' 
An excuse to sip on wine, eat delicious chocolate and hang! 
Since I love DIY, crafting and cooking, it's my turn to host this year. 
My favorite cheat are white chocolate-covered cherries and they don't come from the store. 
Instead, homemade love creates this little passionate lust bites you will crave long after they are gone! 
Course Recipes
Cuisine sweets

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 C Confectioner's Sugar
  • 1/4 C Room Temperature Salted Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Milk
  • 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract*
  • 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract*
  • 2 C White Chocolate Chips for Melting coating chocolate
  • 4 oz of Dark Chocolate Chips for Melting or bar (Drizzling Chocolate)
  • 16 oz of Cherries Drained Maraschino without stems I used Dark Morello Cherries
  • Parchment Paper
  • 2-3 Large Baking Pans coated with Parchment Paper.
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Spoons
  • Rubber Scraper
  • *use Clear extract or it will 'taint' the pure white you can eliminate this but the taste won't be the same The white may turn a little 'brown' but it's not a mud brown, you could also diminish the amount or eliminate the Vanilla and just use Clear Almond Extract (which is easier to find!)

Instructions
 

  • Using a stand mixer or by hand, add butter, sugar, milk, and extracts (if using).
  • Mix until smooth.
  • Scrape the sides and mix by hand, making certain all ingredients are mixed in, but don't overmix.
  • Next, begin forming balls that are about 1" in size. (refer to my video to see)
  • Then flatten the ball into the size of your palm about 2" - 2 1/2" big.*
  • Have drained cherries close by this prep area, ready and waiting to be covered.
  • Place a cherry into the middle of the flattened disc and roll until the batter covers the cherry.
  • This takes seconds. Set the cherry atop a parchment covered baking pan.
  • Repeat the above process until ALL the cherries are covered and all the dough is gone.
  • Now it's time to coat the cherries with the White Chocolate.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl/measuring cup, melt White Chocolate according to package directions.
  • Dip each ball into the chocolate, and then replace the parchment-covered tray.
  • Allow this layer of chocolate to dry.
  • Then, if you are coating in a Dark Chocolate Drizzle, it's time to start.
  • Grab a fork, a microwave-safe bowl/measuring cup and melt dark chocolate according to directives.
  • Next, take your fork and dip into the dark chocolate then starting at the top of the cherry tray working down, use a 'Z' like motion and drizzle the dark chocolate.
  • Make certain to redip the fork at constant intervals to maintain enough 'Drizzle' while coating.
  • Allow this to dry (about an hour or so), then package in an airtight container and refrigerate.
  • Resist the temptation to taste.
  • After ONE week, taste-test and you will LOVE The juicy, flavor-filled results!
  • Keep refrigerated up to one Month.
  • *I did not refrigerate my dough, I went right from rolling into balls and flattening into circles to coating cherries with the batter.
  • However, if your dough seems like it is sticky and won't easily release from your hand after you flatten, I suggest refrigerating each flat 'palm-sized' disc for a few hours (2-3 hours).

Video

Notes

You can change this recipe and create alcohol-flavored cherries.
If you soak your cherries in alcohol for about a month, like Amaretto or Bourbon or whatever you like, these little babies will sail in taste! It's all up to you! We have done all of it.
Do make sure to again DRAIN cherries soaked in alcohol before using it. Retain the Alcohol for cordial. The process can not be rushed for alcohol soaking, so do make sure to do at least a month. We just keep ours soaking in them throughout the beginning of a year and go-to as needed.
The cordial is amazing!
A Word About Refrigerating the Dough Covering Discs
When I make mine, the butter is not runny, it is simply room temperature. This means, that the butter yields to the push of fork tines and spreads.
The milk is ROOM temperature as well (a few seconds in the microwave will do that).
Always watch the color of your extract as it may change the pure white of the White Chocolate Covered Cherry look. However, since the extract is used in such small amounts, it is just a bit 'brown' not much. I've used all extracts and never had a disaster because the quantity of extract is so low.
I had a brush with some non-flavored spray coconut oil release on it and basted my hands in between discs to ensure they would not stick. That seemed to work well as you can see in the video.
Cheers. ~ Dana XO