Super Easy Chocolate Covered Cherries

Total Time: 24 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 24 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (softened)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (i have used vanilla extract with success)
• 2 (8 ounce) jars maraschino cherries (with stems, well drained, patted dry)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening

Recipe

• 1 in a small bowl combine confectioners sugar, softened butter, milk and extract. kneed until you form a pliable "gooey dough". roll into 3/4"-1" balls, then smash flat to make a 2" circle.
• 2 line a baking sheet with wax paper. important: be sure that each cherry is completely patted dry. place 1 cherry in the center of each circle. carefully enclose the cherry with the circle of "gooey dough" (leave the stem exposed), and place them stem side up on the baking pan. loosely cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 3 place chocolate chips and shortening into a microwave safe bowl. heat for 30 seconds, stir, heat 30 seconds, stir, etc -- until melted and stir again. let sit 1 minute.
• 4 hold the cherries by the stem and dip into chocolate, covering every bit of cherry (so no liquid will drain out once set). allow excess chocolate to drain off and return each to the wax paper lined baking sheet.
• 5 refrigerate baking sheet immediately just until chocolate has hardened, then transfer to room temp sealed container. best served after one week for juiciest cherries. keeps up to 6 weeks in a sealed container.
• 6 enjoy!