Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 24 cup mini muffin pan with mini cupcake baking papers.
Remove stems from the cherries, cut in half and dry with paper towels.
Combine chocolate chips and butter in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and cook on high power until the butter is melted and the chocolate chips are very soft, about 2 minutes. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, cherry liquid and salt. Ladle half the batter into the prepared pan, place a maraschino cherry half in each cupcake and fill with the remaining batter, filling the cups almost full. Bake for 20 minutes or until risen and the tops look dry. Let cupcakes cool in the pan.
Whip the cream with the vanilla and powdered sugar. Top the cooled cupcakes with the whipped cream, dust with a little cocoa powder and top with the remaining maraschino halves.