Sherene's Cherry Chocolates

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup butter or margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
30 maraschino cherries
2 pounds smooth milk chocolate

DIRECTIONS
To make the fondant, place butter in medium mixing bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until softened. Add powdered sugar. Mix well. Blend in condensed milk. (Mixture should be stiff enough that you can knead it like bread dough. If it is too sticky, add more powdered sugar.)
To cover each cherry, make a ball with about one teaspoon of the fondant, flatten it out and put the cherry in the middle. Cover the cherry with the fondant. Place on wax paper. Chill coated cherries for no more than 15-20 minutes. Dip coated cherries in chocolate. (Do not completely freeze the coated cherries because as it freezes it will expand a little bit and when the cherry chocolate comes back to room temperature - after its been dipped - it will actually shrink and crack the chocolate coating.) After a few days, some of the filling will actually change to an almost clear liquid like the ones you buy in the store. I usually try to make the cherry chocolates about two weeks before I need them so they will have a chance to liquefy. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!

Other things you can do with the Fondant

Fondant is the base for many of the fillings you find in dipped chocolates. It is very versatile and easy to use. You can use one or two drops of any oil or extract to flavor the fondant (I prefer the oil). You can also add food coloring to it for a different look. Here are some of the possible flavors: peppermint, orange, lemon, raspberry, maple, and almond. Put a drop of the oil in the center of the fondant and knead it like dough. Taste it and see if you added enough oil if not do it again until you are satisfied with the taste. Just remember that the longer the candy sits the stronger the flavor will get. Keep unused fondant in a plastic bag (take all the air out of the bag). This can be stored for up to two weeks. (Dipped chocolates can last up to three months in a cool dry place. They might even last longer if you can keep that long.)
You can also add any nut to the fondant. The nuts can be whole, or chopped and you can add them in conjunction with the other flavors. You can also add other flavorings like maraschino cherry juice, raspberry jam, or candy canes. If the fondant gets too sticky, just add some more powdered sugar.
Shape the fondants on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Let them dry out overnight. Then dip in chocolate. Again, there are many different shapes you can use, so have fun with it. I tried to make the different kinds of candy into different shapes. For example, I shaped the mints like the commercial peppermint patties. I made the orange truffles square and the raspberry truffles into a patty, but it was smaller than the peppermint patty. Have fun with this!!!!

–Sherene Van Dyke