January: A month full of health fads and New Years’ resolutions, a time to reflect on what you could have done better and to promise you’ve given up treating yourself for good.
It can be hard trying to enjoy this month if you’re not one of the ‘New Year, New You’ group, especially when ordering cocktails or sweet treats. We got a little tired of the gasp of surprise when we say we are not taking part in Dry January (seriously, you’re actually surprised?) and decided to look for sneaky ways to enjoy our favourite cocktails instead.
RECIPE: Boozy Chocolate Cherries
This recipe encompasses nearly all of our favourite things: cocktails, chocolate and fresh fruit. Who says you can’t have it all?
You will need:
3 x punnets of fresh cherries (with stems if possible)
4 x Kiss Mix cocktails
3 x chocolate bars (1 milk, 1 white and 1 dark)
Step one: Start by washing the cherries to make sure they are nice and clean.
Step two: Using a sharp knife, lightly score the flesh of the cherries to so the alcohol can be fully absorbed.
Step three: Choose your cocktail flavours and find a convenient container for soaking. You will need to leave the cherries to soak for at least four hours (we left ours overnight) so make sure you find a container that you can easily move if you don’t have lots of space.
To best compliment the cherries we chose the cocktail flavours Cosmopolitan, G&T, Screwdriver and Lemon Drop.
Step four: Once you are happy that your cherries have drunk as much as they can, take them out of the containers and dry them on kitchen paper. Be careful to keep your flavours separate if you are using more than one.
Step five: It’s time to melt the chocolate. Fill a pan with boiling water and set it to simmer at a low heat. Place a large glass mixing bowl over the top and put your chocolate inside. After a couple of minutes you will see the chocolate start to melt; give it a mix to get rid of larger lumps.
Step six: Carefully cover the cherries in chocolate using the stems to help you. Useful tools to keep nearby are a tea spoon and cocktail sticks in case the fragile stems come loose with the weight of the chocolate.
Repeat for all flavours and types of chocolate.
Step seven: Finally, lay your cherries on greaseproof paper and leave to harden (you can also put them in the fridge to speed up this process).
And you’re done! Strong, boozy chocolate cherries in all your favourite cocktail flavours. Perfect for those sneaky adult treats or for sharing with others.
The Cocktail Lounge 