Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

There isn’t much time until Valentine’s Day, so I wanted to make some homemade chocolate covered cherries to pack in my daughter’s lunch on February 14th (and to snack on, if I’m being completely honest).  

When I was a child, chocolate covered cherries were one of my favorite candies.  I used to split a small box with my sister when we were younger.  We loved them!  

Now that I have my own children, I love creating homemade treats for special occasions.  I am conscientious about what I feed to my children, but I also want them to experience all of the things I was able to, so I compromise on homemade versions.  

After seeing how these turned out, there is a certain appreciation for homemade candies!  They are hand crafted and look decadent and a little more special than the boxed variety.  

If you’re wanting to show a special someone how much they mean to you, make them these homemade chocolate covered cherries 🙂 

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

The recipe seems a bit long, but these are actually quite easy to make.   You start with maraschino cherries, cover them in a homemade icing, and dip them in a dark chocolate (you can use any, but I love this brand) and milk shell.  Pop them in the freezer to set, and that’s it!  You can whip up a couple dozen of these in about 20 minutes of active cooking time.

 These would be fun to make in bulk for co-workers, loved ones, or to pass out as Valentine’s at your child’s school.  You could even make these as tokens of appreciation for the service people in your life, such as the mailman, your child’s teachers, and the tellers at your bank.  

You could also pair these with some homemade brownies!  Learn how to package brownies. 

I am also a huge fan of random acts of kindness, and I think a box of homemade chocolate covered cherries is a great random act of kindness to gift 🙂 

Whatever you decide to do with your homemade chocolate covered cherries, I know that you will spread joy with them. 

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Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

Author Andrea Vaughan

Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 maraschino cherries
• 7 oz dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup whole milk

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, softened butter, condensed milk, and vanilla extract until well mixed. Refrigerate one hour.
2. Meanwhile, drain maraschino cherries and lay out onto a cookie sheet. Place in freezer for an hour.
3. Grab a teaspoon of sugar mixture, and use hands or a rolling pin to flatten into a circle. Place a cherry in the center, then fold sugar mixture around the cherry to form a ball. Set aside, and repeat for remaining cherries. Once all cherries are covered, place back in the freezer.
4. Fill a small saucepan with 1 - 2" of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place a glass bowl on top of the saucepan, creating a double broiler, and add the dark chocolate and whole milk to the bowl. Stir frequently until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
5. Grab the cherries from the freezer, and roll them in the melted chocolate mixture. Once coated, place back on the cookie sheet and freeze one more hour.

Have you ever made homemade candies?  What are your favorite recipes? Share in the comments below!