5.23.2011

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Chocolate-dipped cherries

Or a chair of bowlies if you're a Mary Engelbreit fan.

Courtesy of Google image search

Truth is, life isn't always a bowl of cherries. There are good days and bad days, so sometimes it's nice to come home and whip up a quick, sweet treat at the end of the day to take the edge off. Of course, you could pour yourself a glass of wine first -- because that might take the edge off too.

Chocolate-dipped cherries

This simple dessert of cherries, chocolate, and almonds, one of my favorite combinations, was inspired by a recipe in Whole Living for some chocolate-dipped cherries. The June issue features a couple pages of cherry recipes and some nutrition information about cherries -- like that they have flavonoids that could protect against cancer and improve heart and brain function and that just a 1-cup serving of cherries has 3 grams of fiber. (And since we know dark chocolate and almonds have antioxidants, that means this little dessert is actually good for you!)

Cherries and chocolate

As I was flipping through and checking out the recipes, I realized that as much as I love cherries, I don't ever do much with them besides just eat them. And I also realized that as soon as I saw these cherry recipes, I began to crave cherries. So much so that I bought cherries the very same day the magazine arrived in the mail and made my version of the chocolate-dipped cherries that very same night.


This is definitely one of the quickest, easiest, and quite possibly healthiest, desserts I've ever made.

Chocolate-dipped cherries

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries With Ground Almonds (adapted from Whole Living, June 2011)

Ingredients

1 ounce Scharffen Berger 70% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces cherries, rinsed (choose those with stems attached)
1/4 cup finely ground blanched almonds, toasted

Preparation

Line a sheet pan with wax paper.

Place the chocolate in a small bowl, and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir, and continue microwaving in 15-second increments and stirring in between until completely melted and smooth. (This should take a total of 45 seconds.)


Dip the bottoms of each cherry in the chocolate and then in the almonds, and place the dipped cherries on the prepared baking sheet.


Chocolate-dipped cherries

Once you have dipped all of the cherries, transfer the baking sheet to the fridge, and let them firm up for at least 15 minutes.

Chocolate-dipped cherries

Pile the cherries in a bowl to serve.

Chocolate-dipped cherries

Notes: I had leftover ground almonds from making almond flour for macarons. When I sifted the almond flour, I saved the larger pieces that didn't go through, and this is what I used for the cherries. Also, you can easily double or triple this recipe, so you can share the cherries with friends. I think one batch is just the perfect indulgent serving for one or a satisfying treat for two.

Chocolate-dipped cherries

I will be making these whenever cherry and chocolate cravings strike again. The dark chocolate and almonds add just a touch of decadence to the tart-sweet cherries.

Do you like cherries?