Cherry Cordials

Cherry cordials are a classic candy.  Homemade cordials really have the "wow factor" that amazes people, and it's not too complicted to make.  A substantial amount of work, but not complex.

Plus, there's some really cool chemistry at work here.

Yield: About 180 Candies

I'd recommend buying the fondant from a store unless you're an experienced candy maker.

Ingredients

• 180 brandied cherries
• You can substitute maraschino cherries
• 4.5 lbs. poured fondant at room temperature
• 1 tsp invertase
• Corn starch to coat your hands
• Dark chocolate for dipping (about four lbs), melted and tempered
• If you use confectionary coating then you don't need to temper it
• 180 Paper cups

Directions

Warning: Once you start, you have to finish in one sitting.  Invertase is an enzyme that drives a hydrolysis reaction.  It's a slow reaction, but begins immediately.

1. Drain the cherries.  Excess fluid will make step #3 difficult.
2. Add the invertase to the fondant.  Knead it together like bread until fully distributed.
3. Sprinkle some cornstarch on your hands to prevent the fondant from sticking.  Take a small portion of fondant and wrap it around a cherry, forming a ball that fully coats the cherry.  Set aside.
4. Repeat step #3 until all the cherries are coated.
5. Dip the coated cherries in the dark chocolate.  Drop into a paper cup.  Repeat until all the cherries are done.
6. Let the candies sit at room temperature, undistrubed, for 3-5 days while the invertase works its magic.  Try one each day until you find the inside is gooey.
7. Store in the refrigerator.  They last for ~3 weeks total, including the time that you're waiting for the invertase to work.