Recognized by the National Confectioners Association and celebrated by millions of people across the country, January 3rd is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day.
It is almost impossible to eat just one of these chocolate covered cherry candies that have combined two favorite flavors into one delicious treat. The candy often times is made with a sweet liquid center and in some cases has a liquor filling center.
Known to many as a mid-winter pick-me-u, chocolate covered cherries, also called chocolate cordials, can be either store-bought or homemade. There are also many recipes that mimic the flavor of the long known and well-loved candy.
In the 1700s in England, cherries were enclosed in chocolate with a little kirsch (cordial) liqueur. After finding their way to America, they were well accepted with the little bit of alcoholic cordial surrounding the fruit that had been dipped in chocolate. Although originally made with the liqueur, cordials/chocolate covered cherries are more commonly made with a sugar syrup flavored with cherries. The pitted cherries that are used have been cooked in sugar syrup and jarred.
From DaysOfTheYear.com: Chocolate covered cherries were introduced to the world by Cella’s Confections in New York in 1929 and were an immediate hit, quickly becoming famous the world over. Years later, in 1985, Cella’s Confections was bought from the Masarik Family by Tootsie Roll, though the family is still part owners of the product. Today, almost 90 years after they were made for the first time, Cella’s chocolate covered cherries are famous the world over for their liquid center and extra gooey taste.
From Foodimentary.com: Here are today’s five things to know about cherries:
Cherries were brought to America by ship with early settlers in the 1600s.
Cherry pie filling is the number one pie filling sold in the US.
Darker cherries have higher antioxidant and vitamin levels than lighter ones, but sour cherries have far higher levels than sweet.
The main kinds of cherries can be found growing on tall trees that range between fifteen and thirty meters tall.
Asian varieties, such as the Japanese Sakura, (known colloquially as the cherry blossom) are well-regarded for their long, weeping branches filled with small pink flowers.
