Cherry Liqueur Chocolates

Combining fresh cherries, orange liqueur and chocolate, these Cherry Liqueur Chocolates make a perfect end to any meal or can be enjoyed on their own as a special treat.

The inspiration for these chocolates was actually a chocolate shop in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales where something similar was being sold for more than $100/kg ($50/lb.). Obviously I thought I could do better for a substantially lower cost. This recipe is the result.

Ingredients

12 Fresh Cherries with stalks still on
200g Dark Chocolate
Brandy

Directions

Use a Cherry Pitter to remove the stones from the cherries. Make sure you punch through the side of the cherry so as to leave the stalk intact.

If you do not have a Cherry Pitter please see the note at the bottom of the recipe for how to proceed.

If you are looking to buy one, you can get it here.

Place the cherries into a ramekin or other container and pour in enough of the Brandy so as to cover them. After doing this, put them aside and leave the Cherries to soak for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Melt and temper the Chocolate.

See the How to Temper Chocolate page if you are unsure how to do this.

Remove the cherries and dry them off using paper towel. The cherries must be dry as if there is any liquid on them will ruin the melted chocolate when they are dipped.

Dip the cherries into the chocolate. This is actually a two part process. The first dip is just to coat the base of the cherry. Once dipped, lay the cherry on its side and allow the chocolate to set.

With the bottoms dipped, next coat the cherries in chocolate and again lay them aside to set.

Why the double dip? Well if you don’t do this, when you set the lay the cherries down to allow the chocolate to set, the weight of the cherry will push through the liquid chocolate creating a hole. This will then let the cherry juice escape greatly reducing their lifespan and making a big mess as well.

The double dip allows you to create a strong even coating.

Once the chocolate has set completely they are ready to serve. They go together very well with Coffee after a meal or are delicious on their own as a special treat.

Notes: Retain the liquor after you have removed the cherries. The flavour will be enhanced by the cherries so you can either drink it or use it for cooking.

If Brandy is not for you, you can substitute it for whisky or even vodka. All will work equally well, which you choose will depend on your personal taste.

Preperation time: 20 min
Total time: 4 hours 20 min
Yield: 12 Cherry Liqueur Chocolates
Recipe By Martin, Flavoursome Delights

While I highly recommend the use of a Cherry Pitter to remove the stone from the cherries, if you don’t have one you can still make this recipe. Simply take a sharp knife and score the cherry skins to allow the Brandy to penetrate the fruit soaking and then carry on with the recipe as normal.
Just be sure to warn whoever is eating the chocolates about the stone though.