Life is a Bowl of Cherries

I like to make candy.  A homemade candy project is so satisfying once it is all done.  Actually, it is fun in the beginning when the ingredients are assembled in a (hopefully) clean kitchen and it is fun at the end when they are all done and beautifully lined up for all to see.  It is only in the middle, that I wonder why on earth I ever make candy at all. 

I've been hungry to make Chocolate Covered Cherries, they are a little bit of a challenge, but fun for dipping in chocolate since they come with nice little handles.  (I have a problem with the "sticking a toothpick in to dip", they usually fall off and make big holes in my candy.)

So, this time, I decided I was going to go slowly, making sure I had plenty of time and not try to rush getting them done when I'm supposed to be cooking supper or something like that.   I made the powdered sugar/butter filling the night before since it is supposed to chill an hour.  I think they say an hour because that is the optimal temperature for forming dough around drained cherries.  I found that it was sticky when too cold and too warm.  There was a spot in there that was "just right"  (Just ask the three bears.)  So, I formed and put the done ones in the freezer to quick chill, and then I dipped the cold ones while the rest of the dough chilled in the fridge. It worked really well.

Drain the cherries well first.

Form the dough around the cherries in misshapen balls.  (I guess you wouldn't HAVE to do that, but it sure looks like that's what I did.)

Dip in chocolate and drizzle with white chocolate.

 Put in little candy papers for a fancy presentation. 

Candy really should "ripen" a bit before eating, at least a couple of weeks.  The sugar in chocolate covered cherries will liquefy inside if they are left long enough, but I can't remember how long that is and it wasn't written on my recipe.