Looking for something to keep you warm through winter? Here’s a deceptively impressive dessert that will wow the crowd: amaretto-soaked cherries, dipped in white chocolate. Keep the kids away from these! They’re flavorful, they’re not too sweet, and they pack quite a kick when you catch the amaretto liqeur.

But the best part is that they’re super easy to make.

Take your cherries (have them fresh-pitted, if you can) and make two or three small cuts into each one—you want them to absord as much of the amaretto as possible—and drop them into a mason jar. Then fill the jar (or jars, if you’re like me) to the top with amaretto.

You could use a different liquor, too. I was first introduced to drunken cherries soaked in bourbon!

Drop the jars into the fridge and leave them there at least overnight. I let my cherries soak for about 24 hours, but I wish I’d have soaked them longer. They’ll absorb more of the amaretto’s flavor and alcohol the longer they’re allowed to soak.

Then all that’s left to do is dip!

Melt down some white chocolate into a candy dip and, holding each cherry byt its stem, dip the cherries into the white chocolate.

Make sure you eat the ones without stems and the ones that didn’t dip just right, you know… to make sure they’re not poisonous. Right?

And that’s really it!

These guys would be a hit at any holiday party. Or New Year’s Eve party. Or maybe even Sunday brunch.

It’s fruit, right?

Just make sure you have somewhere to leave cherry pits, if you don’t have them pitted.

Check out a printer-friendly recipe below:


Amaretto-Soaked White Chocolate Cherries

(makes 40)

40 fresh unpitted cherries (cherries with pits works fine, too)
750 mL bottle of amaretto
12 ounces white chocolate chips
Vegetable oil

With a knife, make small ¼-inch cuts into each cherry. Place the cherries into mason jars, filling each jar about ¾ of the way full. Fill each jar with amaretto to just cover the cherries. Close each jar securely, and shake gently for 10 seconds before placing into the refrigerator. Let cherries soak for at last overnight, up to 48 hours.

Strain the cherry mixture (you can reserve the slightly cherry-flavored amaretto for cocktails) into a colander. Pat down each cherry with a paper towel or cloth until each one is dry.

Melt some of the white chocolate chips in the microwave, adding vegetable oil as needed. Stir well to create a chocolate coating.

By its stem, dip each cherry into the white chocolate coating. Let excess chocolate drip off before placing the cherries on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate to set for at least 15 minutes before serving. Keeps best in the fridge for up to 1 day.