Chocolate Covered Cherries

Alison Couture, LaCucina Sweets

Ingredients
1/2 pound Dry Candy Fondant  (ingredients: sugar, invert sugar)
1 pound melting chocolate, either dark or milk chocolate
1 jar maraschino cherries
Chocolate cherry candy molds
Double boiler
Decorating brushes
Small spoon, such as a baby spoon

Preparation
Put water in the bottom of the double boiler.  The bottom of the top pan should not touch the water.  Place the pan on the stove on low heat; it should simmer gently.  Place the melting chocolate in the top of a double boiler.  Keep an eye on the chocolate, stirring gently until wafers have melted.

Drain off the liquid from the cherries and save in a separate container. Cut the cherries in half, unless they happen to be small in size.  Set cherries aside to drain off excess juice.

Put half of the dry candy fondant in a dish; add cherry juice a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.  It should be thin enough that it will pour off a small spoon into the cherry mold, but not so thin that it appears runny and juicy.  If it becomes to thin add more fondant, to thick add more juice.

Once the chocolate has melted, place a small spoonful into each cherry chocolate mold.  Using a small spoon, or decorating paintbrush, brush the sides of the mold, being careful that the sides are covered completely.  Hold the mold up to the light and look for thin areas.  Using the paintbrush, cover these with areas with more chocolate.  Place the mold in the refrigerator to harden.  While one tray is setting up you can start on another one.

Take the hardened mold out of the refrigerator.  Place a small amount of fondant mixture in the bottom of each mold; place a cherry on top and top off with chocolate.  Place in the refrigerator to harden.  Once hardened turn out on to wax paper.