Cordial

A chocolate-covered candy with a fruit center, most often a cherry, surrounded by a liquid syrup.

Cordial: Round dark chocolate cordials in paper cups, one bitten open to show a red cherry in clear pink syrup
  • Chocolate, sugar and confectionery

Also called: chocolate-covered cherry

The classic cordial is the chocolate-covered cherry. A maraschino or brandied cherry is wrapped in a firm fondant containing invertase, an enzyme, and then dipped in chocolate. Over the following days the enzyme breaks the sugar in the fondant down into a syrupy liquid, so the candy has a soft, flowing center when bitten.

Some cordials are made with real liqueur or brandy, while others are alcohol-free. They are a traditional boxed candy around Valentine's Day and the winter holidays, and similar liquid centers are made with other fruits.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Enzyme Lab (Appendix 11), Kansas State University, Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health