Is there a technique for glacé (glazing) that could speed up the process?
you might try forcing whatever it is into the cherries.  This can be done under pressure, which you might be able to do it using a fizzgizz? or maybe with a creamer, or simply by vacuum packing the cherries with the soaking liquid.  once vacuum packed you might be able to put in a pressure cooker to increase the pressure, but I'm not sure what the heat would do to the cherries.

EDIT:  having read the recipe, I'm not sure any of this would work.