My Mother's Chocolate Covered Cherries

• Serves: 46-50 (1 covered cherry per serving)
• Prep Time: 1+ hours
• Total Time: Several hours with chilling time

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter - room temperature
• 1/3 cup white corn syrup (clear Karo)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1 pound package of powdered sugar
• 2 - ten ounce jars of marachino cherries with stems
• 1 large package of chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet -- your choice) aprox. 2 cups
• paraffin or solid shortening (optional or if needed)
• bourbon (optional)

Instructions

Drain the cherries in a strainer or on a paper towel. The drier, the better. One recipe I have seen suggest soaking the drained cherries in bourbon over-night! Don't forget to drain and dry (then drink the bourbon).
Mix butter, syrup, salt and almond flavoring with sugar. This is called "fondant".
Pinch a 1 inch sized ball of the fondant, flatten or depress with your thumb. (see the pictures below)
Place cherry in the middle and gently press the fondant up around it leaving the stem at the top.
Place the covered cherries on a pan and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to package directions or in the top of a double boiler on the stove. (I set a small pot inside a larger pot that has hot water in it--do not allow the water to boil.)
Set the covered cherries on waxed or parchment paper to harden.
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or a cool room.

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