Best Dark Chocolate Cherry Candies Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CANDIES

Steps:

• Beat peanut butter, butter and confectioners' sugar until crumbly. Stir in walnuts, coconut, cherries and cherry juice. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of filling into balls. Freeze 10 minutes. , In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed paper. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm. Freeze option: Freeze candy in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, serve frozen or thaw in refrigerator before serving.

DARK CHOCOLATE ROASTED CHERRY QUICK BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pan). Lightly grease bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan.
• In large bowl, beat Bisquick mix and 1/2 cup baking cocoa with whisk. Add granulated sugar, oil, milk and eggs; stir to combine. Stir in cream cheese; fold in roasted cherries. Spread batter evenly in pan.
• To make Streusel: In small bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar and 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa. Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle streusel over top of batter in pan.
• Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Carefully loosen bread from edges of the pan with knife, then remove from pan to cooling rack to cool completely.
• Sprinkle top of cooled bread with powdered sugar.
• *To roast cherries: Toss fresh or frozen (thawed) dark sweet cherries in ungreased shallow baking dish with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake at 450°F about 10 minutes or just until cherries burst. Transfer cherries to bowl, and freeze 10 minutes to cool before folding in to batter.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Drain cherries and set on paper towels to dry.
• In a medium bowl, combine butter and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar and knead to form a dough. Chill to stiffen if necessary. Wrap each cherry in about 1 teaspoon of dough. Chill until firm.
• Melt confectioners' coating in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Dip each cherry in by its stem, and place on waxed paper lined sheets. Chill until completely set. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Best after 1 or 2 weeks.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment, allowing it to hang over the sides. Spray the parchment with baking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, milk, melted butter and eggs until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Place the loaf pan on a sheet pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing it from the cake pan, then allow the cake to cool completely, about an hour.
• For the cherry glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, preserves and milk until thoroughly combined; it should be thick but pourable. Add the food coloring and mix through. Pour the icing over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle over the mini chocolate chips. Slice and serve.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY CANDIES

Steps:

• LINE baking sheets with wax paper.
• MICROWAVE chocolate in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 45 seconds; STIR. If pieces retain some of their original shape, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted. Stir in pretzels, cherries and almonds until well coated. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared trays. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
• NOTE: Coarsely chopped dried apricots or sweetened dry cranberries can be substituted for the dried cherries.