By Valentine's Day came and went. I made myself a proper dinner: a pan-seared salmon with a lemon-herb butter sauce, roasted asparagus, and a glass of wine I liked. I set the table properly, with a cloth napkin and a candle, and I ate slowly and read my book. Biscuit sat in the chair across from me looking mildly confused but accepting. It was a very good evening.
I think about cooking for myself sometimes, about what it means to make real food when there is nobody else to feed. In foster care I ate a lot of whatever was available: school lunches, fast food, institutional meals that were fine but not made with me specifically in mind. Gloria taught me that feeding yourself with care is its own act of love, not a consolation prize for not having someone else to cook for. I think about that on the solo dinners more than the Sunday ones.
Work has been good this week. One of my toddlers, a girl named Harper who barely spoke when she started in September, gave a full three-sentence account of her weekend at circle time on Monday. She said she went to her grandma's house and they made cookies and she ate four of them. The whole room erupted. I wrote it down in her file because that is exactly the kind of thing you want to remember.
Sunday at Gloria's I made a peach cobbler with the peaches I have been keeping in the freezer since last summer, the ones from the roadside stand. There is something about mid-February peach cobbler that feels both defiant and optimistic. Gloria had two helpings and then a third small one she described as tasting it again. I did not argue.
The peach cobbler was the right call for Gloria’s table — defiant and optimistic, exactly like it needed to be — but it got me thinking about the other sweet things I reach for when I want to bring something that feels celebratory without being fussy. These Cherry Bombs have become exactly that kind of recipe for me: small, a little indulgent, and impossible to eat just one of. Gloria would absolutely describe the third one as “just tasting it again,” and I would not argue with her about that either.
Cherry Bombs
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 24
Ingredients
- 1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries with stems, drained
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
- Flaky sea salt or festive sprinkles, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Dry the cherries. Spread drained maraschino cherries on a layer of paper towels and pat thoroughly dry. Any excess moisture will prevent the coating from adhering. Set aside with stems up.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and almond extract and mix until fully combined. Fold in chopped pecans by hand with a spatula.
- Wrap each cherry. Scoop about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the palm of your hand. Flatten it gently, place a cherry in the center, and wrap the mixture up and around the cherry, encasing it fully. Roll lightly between your palms to smooth. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining cherries.
- Chill. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill for 45 minutes, until the cream cheese coating is firm to the touch.
- Melt the chocolate. Combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth, about 2 minutes total.
- Dip and set. Holding each cherry by its stem, dip it into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Return to the parchment-lined sheet. Immediately add a pinch of flaky sea salt or a few sprinkles before the chocolate sets, if using.
- Refrigerate until firm. Chill finished cherry bombs for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 98 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 28mg