Cherry Cordials

Ingredients

60 large maraschino cherries, stems attached, drained

12 ounces dark dipping candy, 375 grams

1 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk), 237ml

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, 20ml

½ teaspoon almond extract, 2ml

4 cups confection sugar (powdered sugar), approximately 454 grams plus additional if needed

Directions

Mix the milk, corn syrup, extract and powdered sugar, by hand, until it resembles clay. Do not overmix, but more powdered sugar can be added if the mixture is too soft to handle.

Flatten a teaspoon of the sugar mixture into a thin disk and cover the

maraschino cherry, pressing to seal the

"clay" around the stem. Set cherries aside on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. If the clay separates from the cherries, pat the cherries dry.

Melt the dark candy melts in the top of a double boiler until everything is smooth and melted.

Dip each sugar-covered cherry in the candy covering slightly onto the stem to ensure the sugar is completely covered and allow the excess to drip off for a few seconds. Place each covered cherry in a small candy baking cup. Store the cherries in a sealed container for a week.

Enjoy after the long wait!