Holiday Almanac December 2: Chocolate-Covered Cherries

For more information on the Holiday Almanac, go here. Or to see what I've been up to on past Holiday Almanac days, check out this page.

When I was a kid, my mom always loved chocolate-covered cherries, so I always associate this time of year with having a kitchen full of them. They've never particularly been my jam (I'm not fond of chocolate + fruit, which is weird since I am otherwise so totally into chocolate), but, since I've never had a  homemade one, I figured now was as good a time as any to give them a try.

This 'recipe' is meant to be made with fresh or candied cherries, but I could find neither one at the supermarket, so I used the preserved cherries soaked in kirsch that we use to make old-fashioneds with. I wasn't sure how they would work since they're soaked in liquid, but after drying them off on a paper towel to get rid of any excess liquid, I coated them in chocolate and they worked just fine.

the verdict: 

4 spoons out of five. If you like chocolate-covered cherries, you'll love these and definitely give them 5 spoons. I don't love chocolate-covered cherries, but they're insanely easy and definitely delicious (they'd be perfect on top of a dense chocolate cake, or even stirred into brownie batter).

the recipe:

Chocolate-Covered Cherries

the directions:

If using cherries soaked in any liquid, rinse and dry them well on a paper towel before using.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds.
Drop cherries into melted chocolate, one at a time, coating well. 
Place on a sheet of parchment to dry and top with flaky sea salt if desired.

the ingredients: 

3 oz dark chocolate (bittersweet is fine if you're using candied or kirsch-soaked cherries as they are super sweet)
1 handful fresh, candied, or kirsch-soaked cherries
Optional: Maldon sea salt to finish