Chocolate Covered Cherry Bombs

These truffles/cookies/cake balls are so yummy! And they'd be an adorable and easy little Valentine's Day treat. A twist on a traditional chocolate covered cherry, fudgy cake wraps around a sweet maraschino cherry and is then dipped in milk chocolate for a crisp coating, sealing in the deliciousness. I thought I had enough cherries with stems (the wick of the "bomb") but must not have been paying attention to the second jar since some of my treats are without the stems. But still equally yummy and fun. My cousin Angela messaged me almost immediately upon trying these, looking for the recipe. Yup, they're that good.

This recipe comes from Beth at Hungry Happenings and I worked out so well, I didn't need to make any changes, but did swap the semisweet chocolate for milk chocolate since I had an abundance. There are a few steps to these treats, since you'll bake the cake, then crumble it to mix with the frosting to wrap around the cherries before chilling, dipping in the chocolate and chilling again. But there's down time as you wait for the cake to cool and the chilling steps, so you can watch TV, do laundry, or watch TV. Your choice. Fun, delicious and easy, and definitely worth hunkering down on a snowy weekend to make them for your Valentine.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Bombs

Ingredients

1 18.25 ounce devil's food cake mix
1 1/4 cup water (or amount called for on box)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or amount called for on box)
3 eggs (or amount called for on box)
1/4 cup to 12 ounces premade white frosting
2 jars (about 48 individual) maraschino cherries with steps
1 pound milk chocolate candy discs

Prepare cake batter according to package directions using the water, oil and eggs.

Pour cake batter into a prepared cake pan (I used a 9 x 13 inch pan) and bake according to package directions for the size pan you use.

Remove cake from oven and cool in pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

See, this is why I don't do cake. At least in this case, the broken cake completely worked for me.

Crumble cake into a bowl. Add frosting to cake and mix to create a fudgy mixture to mold around the cherries. I used about 1/2 cup of frosting, but use as much or little according to your taste to get the consistency you need.

Drain cherries and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess juice. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop a ball of batter into your hand and flatten slightly. Place a cherry in the center and wrap the cake mixture around the cherry, leaving the stem sticking out. Arrange on a waxed paper or Silpat lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining cake mixture and cherries. Chill about 30 minutes until set up.

While cherries chill, melt chocolate either on low power in brief increments in a microwave, over a double boiler or in an electric melting pot.

Remove cherries from refrigerator and dip up to the stem in the melted chocolate. Tap off excess chocolate and return to baking sheet. Once all the cherry bombs are dipped, chill for an additional 10-15 minutes until set.

Store in an airtight container, refrigerated.

Makes 4 dozen cake balls.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Printer Friendly Recipe