Amaretto-Soaked White Chocolate Cherries
Looking for something to keep you warm through winter? Here’s a deceptively impressive dessert that will wow the crowd: amaretto-soaked cherries, dipped in white chocolate. Keep the kids away from these! They’re flavorful, they’re not too sweet, and they pack quite a kick when you catch the amaretto liqeur.
But the best part is that they’re super easy to make.
Take your cherries (have them fresh-pitted, if you can) and make two or three small cuts into each one—you want them to absord as much of the amaretto as possible—and drop them into a mason jar. Then fill the jar (or jars, if you’re like me) to the top with amaretto.
You could use a different liquor, too. I was first introduced to drunken cherries soaked in bourbon!
Drop the jars into the fridge and leave them there at least overnight. I let my cherries soak for about 24 hours, but I wish I’d have soaked them longer. They’ll absorb more of the amaretto’s flavor and alcohol the longer they’re allowed to soak.
Then all that’s left to do is dip!
Melt down some white chocolate into a candy dip and, holding each cherry byt its stem, dip the cherries into the white chocolate.
Make sure you eat the ones without stems and the ones that didn’t dip just right, you know… to make sure they’re not poisonous. Right?
And that’s really it!
These guys would be a hit at any holiday party. Or New Year’s Eve party. Or maybe even Sunday brunch.
It’s fruit, right?
Just make sure you have somewhere to leave cherry pits, if you don’t have them pitted.
- 40 fresh unpitted cherries (cherries with pits works fine, too)
- 750 mL bottle of amaretto
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- Vegetable oil
- With a knife, make small ¼-inch cuts into each cherry. Place the cherries into mason jars, filling each jar about ¾ of the way full. Fill each jar with amaretto to just cover the cherries. Close each jar securely, and shake gently for 10 seconds before placing into the refrigerator. Let cherries soak for at last overnight, up to 48 hours.
- Strain the cherry mixture (you can reserve the slightly cherry-flavored amaretto for cocktails) into a colander. Pat down each cherry with a paper towel or cloth until each one is dry.
- Melt some of the white chocolate chips in the microwave, adding vegetable oil as needed. Stir well to create a chocolate coating.
- By its stem, dip each cherry into the white chocolate coating. Let excess chocolate drip off before placing the cherries on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate to set for at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Keeps best in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Jeanie
OMG – these look simply fabulous………….I have to try them…
carey
Whoa. I’m not normally a cherry fan, but THIS is awesome!
AbbyB
How do you keep the stems on but take the pits out? They’re connected…
Taryn
This is a really strange tip that somebody passed on to me once: Cut a small “X” shape in the bottom of the cherry with a sharp knife, then take a pair of clean (I used brand new ones) needlenose pliers and yank the pit out gently. It really works like a charm! I think cherries are so elegant with the stems still on.
myfudo
Really elegant! I want to try this too…
Stephanie C
I wonder if this would go well with dark chocolate? Would one still need the vegetable oil?
Taryn
Oh I’m sure it would go wonderfully with dark chocolate. FYI, the vegetable oil is there only to thin out the melted chocolate and make it better for dipping. If you used chocolate candy coating or “dipping chocolate,” you wouldn’t need the oil at all. I would melt your dark chocolate and add the veggie oil until it’s thin enough to dip in.
Stephanie C
Thank you!
Shannon | JustAsDelish
amazing, elegant and easy recipe, definitely will create buzz at any parties! thanks for sharing! yeah, how do you unpit the cherries and keep the stems on?
Taryn
A strange tip: Cut an “X” shape in the bottom of the cherry, then take a clean pair of needlenose pliers and yank the pit out gently. It works!
Amrita
I’m thinking Christmas and as perfect nibbles for Valentine’s Day! They look super-pretty!
Aubrey
If I cannot find cherries at ANY store near me, would raspberries or strawberries be a good alternative? I’m worried that raspberries may fall apart.
Deon Craig
Aubrey, I am going to use huge jar of marischino cherries offered at Smart & Final with or without stems. May just serve plain after a long soak in bourbon – Derby party; or if time & energy permits a dip in melted chocolate chips thinned a little with veggie oil for shine and thinning of chocolate. Cherries come in huge jar 8.99 w/out stems 10.99 w/stems. Use jar they come in for marinating in bourbon and use drained cherry juice for cool summer ade. De
Candace
These look amazing! If they weren’t fantastic enough just soaked in Amaretto, you dipped them in white chocolate and kicked them up notches unknown.
Taryn
Ha! You crack me up! Thanks!
Lucia
Great idea!
I was wondering if you can reuse the amaretto afterwards?
Rachel
Re-use it? There will be none left. I’ll have drunk it all.
There is going to be diminishing returns . . . Secocond batch won’t be as good.
Drink it, or add it to mousse, or . . . Any number of things. OMG. Cherry amaretto lattes. 😉
Dyskalkulie
They look really beautiful! And you just use white chocolate? Nothing to thin it down?
Taryn
Thanks! I either use white melted candy coating straight from the bag, or white chocolate chips mixed with a tiny bit of vegetable oil–just enough to make it thin and dippable.
angela
This looks good so i will cook it at culinary art with cathy richards
Noelle
Any ideas on how long the cherries could stay in the amaretto? We have wonderful cherry season in July-but if I wanted to do this another time of year, I wonder how long they would last?
Taryn
Hi Noelle! I have made these from soaking the cherries for almost a week, but I’ve never tried it for any longer than that. But this post on Chowhound says you can let them soak “forever” as long as they stay completely covered with the liquor: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/396579
Hope this helps!
Jo
Can u freeze them
sonja
do they get soggy? Asking because I want to place them in a gourmet food gift box for christmas.
Christie
These look amazing! What brand of Amaretto are you using? Would it be a bad idea to opt for something a bit cheaper than Di Sarrono?
Marsha
I too am wondering if there is a way to gift these via snail mail?
janice
I want to try these but i have jamacian rum cream….almost like a baileys can i use that? Please email janicesaadeh@yahoo.com
sue
Can you use marischino cherries? The fresh cherry season is so short.
Anonymous
Sue, I’m trying this w/marischino’s, so I will let you know how it works. LaDonna
L. Rowan
hahaha I, too, eat the imperfect examples of (insert whatever tasty thing I’m making here)to assure myself that no one will be poisoned…
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Lisa
Just wondering if the maraschino cherries worked.
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Rebecca Fralix
These look so good cant wait to try them. Going to change it up a bit and use strawberries too.
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Dawn
The whole point of soaking cherries in liquor is to flavor the liquor, the cherries absorb the toxic stuff the in alcohol and they just taste gross afterwards
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Cheryl
If you cut the X in the bottom to remove the pit, do you still need to make the small cuts to soak up the Amaretto?
Ymurray
How long will the keep in fridge soaking in the amaretto? Do they need to be kept in fridge? I want to make some for Christmas gifts.
Pamela G.
As its the middle of December and freshly picked, big luscious, sweet, beautiful cherries are not in season (mores the pity), any suggestions on making these here at Christmas?