Begin by soaking maraschino cherries (with stems) in liquor for 4-7 days. I tried two different versions. One with cherry vodka; the other with white creme de cacao. I soaked my cherries right in the jar they came in. Just empty out the red syrup and fill the jar with the liquor.
Once they have soaked for the specified time, drain off the liquor. (You can save this for cocktails.) Then, dry the cherries on a paper towel. This will help the chocolate to stick.
Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside.
In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt your chocolate chips and shortening. (The shortening prevents the chocolate from getting really hard.) Stir until smooth.
Next, dip the cherries into the chocolate and set on wax paper. Add any leftover melted chocolate to a plastic baggie. Cut a very small section of the tip of the bag and pipe lines or designs on the cherries.
Notes
*I recommend making two batches at once so that you have an additional chocolate to garnish your cherries.