TYPES OF CHERRIES IN DRINKS RECIPES

Steps:

• Place 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium bowl and let sit at room temperature until softened. Meanwhile, transfer 2 tablespoons cherry syrup from 1 (13.5-ounce) jar maraschino cherries to the bowl of butter. Drain the cherries, then transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Gently pat the cherries completely dry with more paper towels.
• Make the fondant: Add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the bowl of softened butter. Fold and mix together with a rubber spatula until a thick paste that can hold its shape forms. Fold the paste a few more times until evenly combined. Refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cut out 2 (6-inch) square sheets of wax or parchment paper. Line a second baking sheet with more wax or parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
• Remove the fondant from the refrigerator. Spray your hands with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
• Working quickly, wrap 1 cherry at a time: Scoop out 1 teaspoon of the fondant and roll into a ball with your hands. Place on the paper square and press and flatten with a greased fingertip into a rough 2-inch-long oval. Place 1 cherry in the center of the oval. Use the paper to bring up one section of the fondant up and over the cherry. Peel back the paper to release the fondant onto the cherry. Repeat folding up sections of the fondant over the cherry until it is completely covered, gently pressing and molding as needed. Place the wrapped cherry on the baking sheet.
• Repeat wrapping the remaining cherries, spraying your hands or the paper square with more cooking spray as needed to keep the fondant from sticking. If the fondant gets too soft to work with, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up again. If the paper square gets too sticky and messy, use the second square. After all the cherries are wrapped, refrigerate them until the fondant is firm, about 20 minutes.
• Coarsely chop 12 ounces chocolate (no need to chop chocolate chips). Place the chocolate and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a dry, medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is mostly melted, about 90 seconds total. Stir until the residual heat melts the remaining chocolate.
• Remove the wrapped cherries from the refrigerator. Dip the cherries in the chocolate 1 at a time: Pick up a cherry by the stem with one hand and hold a spoon in the other hand. Dip the cherry into the chocolate and spoon more chocolate over the stem end until the cherry is completely coated. Pick the cherry up out of the chocolate and let the excess chocolate drip off. Return to the baking sheet. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.