Smooth, creamy chocolate with bits of cherries inside a dark chocolate shell. These Chocolate Cherry Truffles are a rich, decadent treat.
12 DAYS OF HOLIDAY TREATS: DAY 6
Welcome to Day 6 of SugarSpicesLife 12 Days of Holiday Treats! This is a 12 series of 12 recipes for holiday treats! Today’s Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Truffles.
Chocolate Cherry Truffles
Experimentation
Last year I wanted make chocolate covered cherries for my Christmas gift boxes. I wanted to use real cherries, and wanted the center to only be cherry – meaning no creamy filling.
I succeeded with the chocolate covered cherries – they were delish – and planned on sharing the recipe, but there was a problem. They were messy.
The cherry juice leaked through the chocolate shell inside of the gift boxes and on serving plates. I decided I needed to work on the recipe a bit more before I could share it.
Truffle Inspiration
The past few years I have made Nutella Truffles at Christmas, and they’re hands down one of my favorite candies. I used that recipe as a starting point to create these Chocolate Cherry Truffles.
Cherries
This recipe uses jarred maraschino cherries. The reason for this is:
- They’re very sweet and almost taste like candy, so they pair well with the chocolate.
- Maraschino cherries are easy to chop finely.
- Their bright red color is festive.
- The jarred juice can be used for the top of the truffles.
- They taste like Christmas. (**Editor’s note – what in the world does this mean?)
Filling
The filling for these truffles is made of half milk and half dark chocolate chips.
I use Nestle chocolate chips for both types and much prefer the taste of the mixed milk/dark chips to using all semi-sweet.
Feel free to experiment with combinations as you feel fit. The most important thing is that you use 12 ounces of chocolate.
Coating
For this recipes, I dipped the truffles in melted dark chocolate. Again, this is a preference thing. If you want something sweeter, you could easily use semi-sweet or milk chocolate.
Next, I sifted cocoa powder over the truffles. Its bitter taste against the sweet filling is divine! If you disagree with that contrast, consider using hot cocoa powder for a sweeter finish.
Finally, I mixed red melting chips with some of the maraschino cherry juice and drizzled it over the top of the truffles for a little extra cherry flavor!
These Chocolate Cherry Truffles are an elegant, rich, decadent candy that are perfect to give as a gift or to just eat for dessert!
Chocolate Cherry Truffles
Ingredients
Truffles
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces milk chocolate I use Nestle milk chocolate chips
- 6 ounces dark chocolate I use Nestle dark chocolate chips
- 10 ounce jar maraschino cherries
Coating and Decor
- 10 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ~1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 6 ounces red candy wafers
- 1 tablespoon cherry juice from jar of maraschino cherries
Instructions
Truffles
- Remove maraschino cherries from the liquid, reserving liquid. Chop cherries finely.
- Place milk chocolate and dark chocolate into a medium to large sized heat safe bowl. Set aside.
- In a small sauce pan on stove top over medium heat, stir together heavy whipping cream, butter, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, pour mixture over chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove plastic wrap and whisk until smooth. Then stir chopped cherries into chocolate mixture.
- Place bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes, then stir well. Place bowl back in refrigerator for another 15 minutes, then stir well.
- Again, place bowl back in refrigerator, but stir after 5 minutes. Repeat the cooling, then stirring, every 5 minutes until chocolate is firm enough to form into balls. This will take 10-15 minutes total.
- Once firm, form chocolate into about 1" round balls. Place on parchment paper or silicone mat. Put formed balls in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (you may can keep the balls in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but if you do this put them in a container that seals, or cover them in plastic).
Coating
- On a working surface lay out a large piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Place dark chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Remove balls from refrigerator. Use a fork to roll balls, 1 or 2 at a time, through melted chocolate. Use fork to pick up coated balls so that excess chocolate drips off balls into bowl. Place coated balls on parchment paper or silicone mat. Once you have coated a few balls, dust cocoa powder lightly over truffles (you can do this with a mesh strainer or sifter).
- Place red candy wafers and cherry juice in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until wafers are melted and smooth. Drizzle over truffles.
- Let truffles sit for 30-60 minutes before serving or storing.
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed these Chocolate Cherry Truffles, you may also enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Nutella Truffles
Buckeyes (Peanut Butter Chocolate Candy)
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake
Easy Toffee
Chewy Chocolate Chip Candy Cookies
