Chocolate covered cherries are a confection made by coating whole maraschino cherries in tempered chocolate, usually dark or milk. Many recipes use an invertase-treated filling that starts firm around the cherry and liquefies into a syrupy center over time as the enzyme breaks down the sugar. In the United States they are strongly associated with Valentine's Day and other gift-giving holidays, often sold in heart-shaped boxes. Some producers use fresh or liqueur-soaked cherries instead of maraschino.