Brandied Cherry Balls Recipes

BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, water and lemon juice. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture slightly reduces and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy and pitted cherries.
• Transfer cherries and liquid to jar (liquid should cover cherries completely). Cover with lid; seal tightly. Cool completely, about 3 hours.
• Store in refrigerator 4 to 6 weeks before serving.

BRANDIED CHERRY BALLS

Steps:

• Place cherries in a small bowl. Cover with brandy; refrigerate overnight., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until crumbly. Drain cherries, reserving 2 teaspoons brandy. Add cherries and reserved brandy to cream cheese mixture. , Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place balls on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 1 hour., In a microwave, melt dark chocolate candy coating and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Return to the baking sheet., For drizzle, melt a small amount of white candy coating in a microwave; stir in food coloring until smooth. Drizzle over candies. Chill until set.

BRANDIED SOUR CHERRY AND PEAR TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend together flour, salt, butter, shortening, and 2 tablespoons sugar with your fingertips or a pastry blender in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup ice water and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and divide into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, then flatten each into a 5- to 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Peel, halve, and core pears. Cut pears into 1/4-inch dice, then stir together with remaining filling ingredients in a 3-quart heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes. Transfer filling to a shallow dish and cool to room temperature.
• Roll out smaller disk of dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking.
• Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 3 1/2-inch fluted cutter, transferring as cut to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Chill rounds until firm, about 10 minutes, before decorating. Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll, cut, and chill additional 31/2-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16.
• Cut out shapes from rounds with decorative cutters or a sharp paring knife, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge, and reserve cutout pieces if desired for additional decoration. Brush tops lightly with milk. Lightly press reserved cutouts (if using) onto decorated pastry rounds and brush lightly with milk. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over tops and chill while making bottoms.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out larger disk of dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on floured surface with floured rolling pin, lifting up dough carefully and flouring surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cut out as many rounds as possible (about 12) with 4-inch cutter. Gather dough scraps and chill 20 to 30 minutes, then reroll and cut additional 4-inch rounds (reroll scraps only once) for a total of 16. Fit each 4-inch round into a tartlet pan (don't trim). Fill each tartlet with 3 tablespoons cooled filling and brush edge of pastry lightly with milk. Place decorated tops over filling in each tartlet, then press each top lightly around edge to help seal edges and trim pastry if necessary.
• Bake tartlets on a large baking sheet until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer tartlets to a rack and cool 10 minutes. To remove tartlets from pans, cover 1 hand with a folded kitchen towel and invert tartlets 1 at a time onto towel, reinverting them onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BRANDIED CHERRY BROWNIE BITES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. In 1-quart saucepan, heat cherries and brandy to simmering over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes.
• Make brownie mix as directed on box, using water, oil and egg, except stirring in cherries, any remaining brandy and 1/2 cup of the hazelnuts. Pour into pan.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. With spoon, scoop out brownies and shape into 1-inch balls; place on cookie sheet.
• In microwavable bowl, microwave baking chocolate uncovered on High 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in hazelnut spread until well blended. With fork, dip brownie balls, one at a time, into chocolate mixture; tap off excess. Return to cookie sheet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup hazelnuts. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.

CHERRY RUM BALLS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate chips and stir in the rum and corn syrup.
• Stir together the vanilla wafer crumbs, pecans and 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the crumb mixture and stir until blended.
• Shape mixture into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in the remaining confectioners' sugar. Place cherry half in center of each cookie, pressing down lightly. Store in an airtight container for several days to develop flavor.

NO-BAKE CHERRY BALLS

Steps:

• Dry the cherries on paper towel.
• Cream the butter and gradually mix in the icing sugar and orange juice.
• Add coconut and mix well.
• Note: this mixture will be soft.
• Roll a small portion of the coconut mixture evenly around each cherry and then roll in graham wafer crumbs.
• Place on wax paper and keep cool.

CHERRY BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• In the microwave oven or over a double boiler, melt chocolate chips, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon and corn syrup.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the crushed vanilla wafers and ground walnuts. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crumbs in the bowl and blend well using your hands. Shape into 1 inch balls and press a cherry half into the center of each one. Roll each cookie in confectioners' sugar to coat.
• Store in an airtight tin for at least a week before serving.