Chocolate Dipped Cherries

Are you looking for an easy-to-make treat to make your guests feel special? These chocolate dipped cherries are to die for, and you can enjoy just one for a hit of sweetness to finish off a meal with an elegant touch.

Chocolate

Cherries

You need just two ingredients: cherries and chocolate. For the cherries, choose plump, firm fruit with green stems. For the chocolate, I used good Belgian dark chocolate pieces from the bulk bins at the grocery store. The amount of each is up to you, but if you buy too much chocolate, the leftovers can continue to bring you joy!

Ideally, you’ll bring the cherries to room temperature so that the chocolate forms a smooth thin layer over each fruit. Make sure they’re dry! If the cherries are chilled, the chocolate may set too quickly and the moisture from condensation may affect the chocolate. I tried using both room temperature and chilled cherries, and the warmer fruits worked much better. You can pit the cherries if you wish, but be sure to keep the stem attached as it’s easier to dip and also easier to eat later. Be sure to reshape the cherries if you pit them so they remain nice and round.

Heat the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Be patient – this will take a little while. Stir from time to time as it melts until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. I did try melting the chocolate in the microwave, but the stove-top method worked better because I was able to better gauge when the chocolate was perfectly melted. Be sure not to get any water into the chocolate!

Lay some parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Take the cherries and dip them one at a time into the chocolate, covering the bottom and up the sides of each fruit. You can tip the chocolate into one corner of the saucepan as it gets used up, and use a spoon to bathe the cherries in chocolate if you like. Place each cherry on the parchment-covered cookie sheet to set. Once you have dipped all your cherries, move the cookie sheet to the refrigerator to chill.

Eat within the next day or two. The zing of the cherries is perfectly complemented by the richness of the chocolate for a completely delightful eating experience. They’re wonderful with a cup of coffee after dinner, or even in a picnic lunch. But don’t forget to warn your guests about the pits!