quick bites: chocolate cherry bites

tips for tuesday
notes from maggie's farm

My local church is hosting their annual worship arts camp for the kiddos of the community this week, and I was roped into honored to be invited to teach the drama portion, each day this week.  I know you have very busy weeks like this, too.  For me, that means lots of fun, lots of energy, and a lot less time and energy for cooking.  For you, my reader, that means this will be uncharacteristically brief.  With a few store-bought shortcuts, and a guilty pleasure, too.

The 'tip' for this Tuesday is the use of these handy filo dough cups, found in your local market's freezer section.  I keep a few boxes in the freezer and pull them out for just such emergencies as these: I need something cute, tasty, and quick.  Savory or sweet, I use them for all sorts of little treats.  I mash smoked salmon with cream cheese, a little dill, a tiny bit of minced red onion, and pipe the mixture into the toasted cups, garnishing with a sliver of cucumber and a few capers.  I layer fresh ricotta cheese, basil walnut pesto, and a tiny grape tomato, halved, atop.  I fill with a sophisticated pimento cheese and top with crumbled bacon.  I've even made mini tomato feta pies, and they were quite a hit! 

Recently, I pulled together a sweet treat for my sweetheart with a sweet tooth, and topped it with my sweet guilty pleasure, maraschino cherries. 

Now, you can make your own maraschino-type cherries.  I found a few recipes on the interwebs for proof.  In fact, we've made cherry infused liqueur, and the cherries left over afterwards would do quite nicely...for adults, that is.  

We've used fresh cherries and dark chocolate, two superfoods that are super-tasty, too!  We talked about the benefits of cherries in yesterday's post, and you can find health benefits of dark chocolate here.  So, should you find yourself popping the occasional maraschino cherry, you might not feel quite as guilty about that food dye.  And sugar.  Just keep it in moderation, please.  I'll try to, too.

chocolate cherry bites
yields '20-ish' small bites

2 boxes mini filo cups

1 8 oz brick of cream cheese, softened
1 cup yield, (about 2 cups, whole) fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
2-4 oz dark chocolate, grated--reserve 1T for garnish
1t lemon zest, 2t lemon juice
1T, or more, honey, to taste
1 cup whipped cream (homemade, or store bought)
fresh mint, and/or maraschino cherries, for garnish, optionally

Blend softened cream cheese, fresh cherries, chocolate, lemon zest and juice, and honey in a small bowl, tasting to correct seasonings. Fold in whipped cream.  Fill prepared filo cups.  Garnish with fresh mint, and/or maraschino cherries, optionally.

Though I've not personally tested the recipes, below they look promising.  A few links to home-preserved whole cherries:

nolabake: candied cherries
homemade maraschino cherries
punk domestics: cherries
brandied cherries

and look for more, this week on Thirsty Thursday, where we have a cherry or two tucked into some refreshing treats.