Dec 12 Crunchy Cherries

Ingredients

• 1 jar of stems on maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) icing sugar
• 4 oz (115 g) semi-sweet chocolate
• 1, 1″ x 1″ (2.5 cm x 2.5 cm) piece of paraffin wax
• 1 cup (250 mL) cocoa
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
• 6 tbsp (90 mL) whipping cream (not whipped)
• Shredded coconut, for garnish

Directions

Pat cherries dry with a towel and dip into icing sugar to dry and to help the mixture adhere to cherries. In a double boiler filled with water set over medium-low heat, melt chocolate and wax slowly; keep warm. Mix cocoa, butter and cream until smooth. Cover the cherries with about 1 tsp (5 mL) of the mixture and roll into balls with the stems top and centre. This mixture is quite moist and you may need some icing sugar dusted on your hands to work efficiently. Quickly dip the cherries into melted chocolate and set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Dust with shredded coconut. You must work quickly because the butter in the chocolate mixture will melt if held too long. Place in fridge to set. Can be frozen.

Credit: Heather Stewart