Grandpa Clark's Christmas Chocolate Covered Cherries

Grandpa Clark's chocolate covered cherries! He made these for the family during Christmas time! He would make them in the garage sometimes to make sure they were at a colder temperature to work with the chocolate.

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Step 1

1. Soften 4 tbsp of butter until room temperature.

Step 2

2. Drain the cherries, (if you don't want to use 2 tbsp of the juice to color the fondant) then transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Destem them. Gently pat the cherries completely dry with more paper towels.

Step 3

3. Make the fondant: Add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the bowl of softened butter. Fold and mix together with a rubber spatula until a thick paste that can hold its shape forms. Fold the paste a few more times until evenly combined. Refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes.

Step 4

4. Meanwhile, cut out 2 (6-inch) square sheets of wax or parchment paper. Line a second baking sheet with more wax or parchment paper and coat with powdered sugar or cooking spray.

Step 5

5. Remove the fondant from the refrigerator. If it gets too sticky, use powdered sugar to keep it from sticking. Working quickly, wrap 1 cherry at a time: Scoop out 1 teaspoon of the fondant and roll into a ball with your hands. Place on the paper square and press and flatten with a greased fingertip into a rough 2-inch-long oval. Place 1 cherry in the center of the oval. Use the paper to bring up one section of the fondant up and over the cherry. Peel back the paper to release the fondant onto the cherry. Repeat folding up sections of the fondant over the cherry until it is completely covered, gently pressing and molding as needed. Place the wrapped cherry on the baking sheet. Repeat wrapping the remaining cherries.

Step 6

6. If the fondant gets too soft to work with, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up again. After all the cherries are wrapped, refrigerate them until the fondant is firm, about 20 minutes.

Step 7

7. Coarsely chop 12 ounces chocolate (no need to chop chocolate chips). Place the chocolate and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a dry, medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is mostly melted, about 90 seconds total. Stir until the residual heat melts the remaining chocolate.

Step 8

8. Remove the wrapped cherries from the refrigerator. Dip the cherries in the chocolate one at a time. Return to the baking sheet. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.