Tackling fondant can be tricky and a good work out! I used to make these delicious Cherry Cordials for Christmas and Valentine’s Day but have skipped them over the last couple of years due to the time consuming labor and short shelf life. I decided to make these cordials for a recent chocolate and wine pairing party as a special treat. Because I am always looking for new pairs to mate, we tasted these cordials with the famous Wilson Creek Winery Almond Champagne. I knew these two would hit it off because I always put a touch of almond extract in the fondant to enhance the flavor. I think the flavors are initially a bit sweet together, but with two outstanding partners it’s difficult not to find bliss!
Contrary to popular belief chocolates are not actually painted, molds are. This helps the chocolates keep their shinny appearance after being molded. If small amounts of cocoa butter paint stick to the molds and do not adhere to the chocolate you can apply touch-up after molds are released. If you are going to paint molds, it's a good idea to do it before you do anything else, as the paint will need extra time to set up.
Personally I choose to mold cherry cordials, mostly because it helps their shelf life. I also choose to use a “fancy” cherry cordial mold and hand paint them, because it makes them look fabulous! I have hand-dipped them and used a regular dome mold before. I understand that the experimental chocolatier may not have a closet full of molds like I do; therefore dipping will work just fine. When hand-dipping it is important to take special care in covering the whole cherry, if this is not accomplished the fondant may start to seep out as it turns liquid. You should also be aware of how thin your chocolate shell is because this liquid can sometimes penetrate the chocolate from the inside causing it to become soft. I know some people like to double dip the cherries to avoid these problems.
This recipe comes from a great cook book called “Candy Making”, my very fist book on the art. Back when I first started in my own kitchen in 2006 this book was pretty much the only one at the local book store on chocolate or candy making period. I thought at first it was a bit old fashion, but quickly learned “Candy Making” to be a great base for a beginner such as myself. Since then I have experimented with many of it’s recipes and they have inspired me to create some of my own as well.
***This is a great recipe and can be as simple or as difficult as you choose to make it. I think making fondant is slightly advanced candy making and if you have never tempered chocolate before you probably want to learn first by dipping something more simple. If you just have to make these and don’t know how to temper try using old school methods of melting chips and adding paraffin wax, my sis does it all the time. I have also heard they have tubs of easy melt dipping chocolate for beginners that you melt in the microwave. But I wont attest for that stuff as I have never tried it and am sure the quality is sub-par.
Tools you will need:
- paper towels
- baking sheet
- 4-qt sauce pan
- wooden spoon
- candy thermometer
- dough scraper and/or metal spatula to work fondant
- double broiler
- fork
- wax paper
Ingredients you will need:
- maraschino cherries (md to lg jar)
- sugar
- corn syrup
- salt
- water
- tempered chocolate for dipping or molding (I choose dark chocolate to help balance the cordials sweetness.)
I always try to find the smallest cherries possible so that they will fit better into the chocolate molds. I used a medium jar of Maraschinos that were already pitted and de-stemmed. (Approx. 51 cherries) Although the fondant recipe is enough to dip double that, I usually like to do around 50 at once and save half the fondant for a week or so later. They need to be placed out on several layers of paper towels to dry out for about an hour while you are making the fondant. *Be sure to reserve a little juice for later*
It’s time to cook the fondant, follow directions carefully and keep a close eye on the thermometer. If sugar crystals form along the sides of the pan you may wash it down with a wet pastry brush. I don’t usually have much of a problem with this if I stir carefully in the beginning.
Try to have your baking sheet on a flat surface, somewhere it can stay to cool and you don't have to move it. I like to place it on a wire rack or on top of the oven. I have a gas oven so the metal around the eyes keeps the pan lifted and air can pass under it to help it cool faster. The mixture needs to cool for about 20 minutes. The bottom of the pan should only feel ever-so-slightly warm.
*If you choose to mold your cherries now would be the best time to make shells. And if painting was involved it should also be set-up by this time.
After the fondant has cooled it is time to work it! It is especially useful if you can find a good surface to place the pan on so it won’t slide around too much. I like to put it on the counter top so at least one side butts up against the wall, this way when I push the fondant across the pan I have resistance from the wall. I also like to pour a teaspoon of almond extract on top the fondant before I start. Using a metal spatula (pictured below) and/or a metal dough scraper (pictured above) you need to work the fondant back and forth along the pan. This is not easy and gets harder as the minutes tick on. It’s important to mix it well; folding it onto of its self, scraping the pan frequently and even using a twisting motion to stir. Use one tool to scrap another clean when there is too much sugar build up.
Just when you think you can’t do it any longer, 10 min have gone by and you will need to keep mixing for 10 min longer. As the fondant starts to set up it turns from clear to opaque to white. When its white, impossible and starting to crack or crumble a bit you can call it quits. Pat yourself on the back and nix your work out for the day because that was it!
Once the fondant is set up you are now ready to slowly re-melt it for dipping the cherries. Place fondant in a double broiler on the stove over med/low heat. Continue to stir frequently until melted and then turn the heat down a touch. If necessary, the reserved cherry juice may be added at this point to thin the fondant for dipping. Add one teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. (I think this depends on how “set-up” of stiff your fondant was. I find sometimes I don’t even need more than 1tsp and other times I need up to 6.)
It’s time to dip! Fully submerge one cherry at a time into the fondant and fish it out with your fork, a regular fork is fine or a dipping fork if you have one. Let a bit of the fondant run off from the bottom and gently scrap the excess along the side of the pan to prevent puddling. Place each cherry on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. You will have to regularly stir the fondant and clean your fork while dipping. You may choose to use all of the fondant at once, or store what’s left over for re-melting at a later date. Best use of storage- in a plastic bag, in a cool dry place for up to a month.
When the cherries are dipped in fondant and cooled they are ready for chocolate. We don’t want to wait too long for this step because the juice from the cherries causes the fondant to quickly break down. This is what we want, but only after the cherry is also covered in chocolate.
If you have your molds and the shells are ready, place a cherry in each cavity. You may have to gently push them in to fit and sort of squish the fondant down to create enough space for capping. Once the whole tray is full, cover the bottom with a thin layer of tempered chocolate to cap. Let these dry completely before they are ready to be released from the molds.
If you are hand-dipping, dip each cherry in tempered chocolate, using the same technique as in the fondant but take extra care that you don’t scrape too much excess from the bottom. We want them to be fully coated to prevent seeping and quick spoilage.
This is what you want your finished product to look like. They need at least 24 hours and up to 48 for the fondant to become liquid. Cherry cordials will last up to 3 weeks stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Enjoy!
