for instance could you put a marachino cherry in the center and then pack cake around it? or maybe an almond? I was thinking of making some "chocolate covered cherry" cake balls and wondered if any of you CCers had tried this?

or ganache?

I saw this recipe in a coupon book where you just mix melted chocolate and cream cheese, and then make truffles out of it. It seems like it would work around a cherry too....Sounds YUM!

Yes it works. I've done it. There are so many other ways. I've done cheesecakes, nuts, chocolate bars, etc. for centers.

For the binder, I've also used many different things. I've used custards, jams, liquers, cheesecake, cream cheese, etc.

Another idea is chocolate covered coffee beans or chocolate covered berries or nuts

Yep! I've done it.

When we went to see family for Thanksgiving, I felt bad I wouldn't be doing any of the cooking. So I made cake balls.

One batch, I made red velvet cake, chocolate icing as the binder with a marachino cherry in the middle and covered in white chocolate, drizzled with milk chocolate.

All I did was put what size ball I wanted in my hand, flattened it, put the cherry in the center, then folded around it, and shaped it into the ball. Everybody loved it. If you use the cherries in the syrup like I did, though, make sure you drain em really good. Otherwise the liquid leaks out your cake balls.

the first cakeballs I made were Chocolate Covered cherry because I made a cherry cake that didn't turn out like I had hoped. I added chopped maraschino cherries, some of the juice from them to bind and cherry flavoring, and I think I threw in some mini chocolate chips. They were really good. I had a problem with the mixture oozing out in places once they were covered in chocolate though.