These party-ready cherries are filled with champagne-spiked white chocolate ganache and presented on a tray as single bite sweets. Serve them alongside flutes of champagne.
8oz.2 boxes Baker’s bars white chocolate, finely chopped
1/3cupheavy cream
2tablespoonschampagne or sparkling wine
1 ½lb.large red cherrieswashed and patted dry
Instructions
Make the ganache: Combine the finely chopped chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir so that the chocolate is coated with the heavy cream. Heat for 1 minute at 100% power in the microwave. Let stand for 1 minute and then whisk together until smooth. Add the champagne and whisk again until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to set.
Meanwhile, split the cherries horizontally and twist to open, leaving stems intact. Remove the pits by twisting them with your fingers (discard pits). Pat the cherry flesh dry on paper towels and transfer them to a zip top bag lined with paper towels to absorb any cherry juice that may seep from the cut cherries.
Scrape the ganache (which will be soft and scoop-able) into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is thick like buttercream and pipeable. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a small closed star tip (Wilton 402-35).
Fill the cherries: If cherries want to roll and not stand upright, slice a tiny sliver from the cherry bottoms so they will sit flat. It’s best to do this before the cherries are filled. Most of mine were large enough to stand on their own.
Place a cherry bottom on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pipe a swirl of ganache on top about the size of a nickel. Finish by sandwiching with a cherry top. Repeat with remaining cherries and ganache. Transfer the finished cherries to a fancy tray by their stems and serve alongside flutes of champagne.
Keyword champagne ganache, fresh cherries, white chocolate ganache