'Tis the season for fresh cherries & these tiny baubles of joy are currently causing havoc in Western Australia with Manjimup growers experiencing crop losses of up to 90% & prices wildly fluctuating in the final countdown to Christmas. So if you're at your local green grocer & spy some local lovelies, may we suggest snaffling them up, enjoying them while they are around & perhaps consider making this delicious version of fresh cherry ripes for a fabulous cool snack, late night delight or even wrapped up & gifted to a cherry lover in your life.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup of Dark Choc Drops
- 500g Fresh Cherries
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 3 Tbsp Desiccated Coconut (extra 1/2 Tbsp for decorating)
Method:
- Wash and remove the pips from your cherries - you can get fancy and do this using a straw to poke them out or just cut in half and pop dat pip. Cut in half & set a 1/4 of your fresh cherries for decorating.
- Whiz 3/4 of your fresh halved cherries with the coconut oil & desiccated coconut until well blended (make sure your coconut oil is at room temp before you start any whizzing for a nice smooth/well combined mixture).
- Melt your choc drops in a large heatproof container in the microwave, and then gently mix in your cherry and coconut blend until combined.
- Spread your delightful combination out onto a baking paper lined tray and smooth into a 2-3cm thickness with a spatula.
- Sprinkle over extra desiccated coconut & stud with your remaining fresh cherry halves.
- Freeze for 2 hours minimum then let sit out for 5-10 mins before breaking & eating. You can also leave in the fridge for at least 30 mins to set and eat straight away, however it just won't be as crunchy...you do you boo!
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Some other ideas we love:
- Sub out dark chocolate for white or milk chocolate or go a mix and melt separately for a fabulous swirl effect as you mix and spread it out on the tray
- Frozen berries can also be subbed in or make up the cherry weight, will just change the texture from that classic "cherry ripe" vibe
- Nuts add some delightful texture & extra flavour - you can either whizz them into the fresh mixture with the fruit and coconut or stud the spread mixture for a rocky road vibe
- Similar to the above, chunks of marshmallow folded through with the melted chocolate or pressed into the mixture to set, add another element of texture.